


I See Blue

by TheCharmingSeal



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Adult Content, Adultery, Bromance, Don't copy to another site, Epic Friendship, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, GMM - Freeform, Good Mythical Morning - Freeform, Light Angst, Slow Build, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:02:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 27,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25556293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCharmingSeal/pseuds/TheCharmingSeal
Summary: Faye's just starting to find her footing, Link's starting to lose his. Is music really the cure to all ills? Or are some troubles too tough to overcome? Does past performance equal future results? One thing is for sure, nothing in life is ever guaranteed.
Relationships: Christy Neal/Link Neal, Link Neal & Original Female Character(s), Link Neal/Original Female Character(s), Link Neal/Reader, Rhett McLaughlin & Link Neal
Comments: 14
Kudos: 22





	1. I.

**Author's Note:**

> So this was born from a daydream I've been having over the past couple days. It won't leave me alone, but it's nice one so I don't mind. Anyway, I figured, the best way to exorcise your demons, is to let them out the door. Hence, this fic.
> 
> Enjoy!

I threw my guitar strap over my shoulder and stepped out onto the makeshift stage. No matter how many times I’d done this, I still got nervous. Stage fright – the bane of creative types everywhere. Although, in my case, I only get stage fright like 3 seconds before I’m about to do whatever it is. I guess it’s a blessing – less time spent overthinking.

Leaning closer to the mic, I flashed a cheeky smirk to the audience. “Y’all ready to do this thing?” I got a pretty decent cheer back, most likely due to the alcohol in their systems. That was one of the benefits of performing in bars like this, alcohol tends to make people livelier and more likely to enjoy the music. Of course, it isn’t always that way. I’d only been performing gigs for a few months, but I’d seen my fair share of bar fights. Thankfully, being as I was on stage most of the time, I was able to avoid the worst of it.

Flicking a quick look at the band to make sure they were in position, I turned back to the front and started to tap my foot as I start playing the opening riff of our first song, Everybody Loves an Outlaw.

_“Here come trouble, but you can’t look away, ohh_

_Preacher tried to tell you now, mmm...”_

* * *

We were coming to the end of the set when my eyes caught another's in the crowd. I couldn’t see them well with the stage lights on me, but I could feel their stare all the way down to my toes. Breaking away from the intense gaze, I leant down to grab a sip of water from a bottle I’d set off to the side.

Turning back to the audience I, once again, leaned into the microphone. “Alright folks, this is the last number of our act, but try not to miss me too much.” I winked, heading over to the back of the makeshift stage. I slung my guitar off my neck and leant it up against the wall. I often had Roger, the other lead guitarist, take over for this song so I had more freedom to move around. The lights above me dimmed, as I stepped up to the mic and began to sing the opening verse.

_“Did you really think, I’d just forgive and forget? No,_

_After catching you with her, your blood should run cold, so cold._

_You, ooh-ooh_

_You two-timing, cheap lying wannabe_

_You're a fo-oo-ol, if you thought that I’d just let this go.”_

Unsure of when my eyes had closed, I opened them and looked out over the crowd.

As much as I loved this song and what it represented – it was hard not to get lost in the feelings it evoked. I’d written it with the help of my best friend Kayli after I caught my long-term boyfriend Lane cheating on me repeatedly.

I should have known, really. I always prided myself as being independent, not needing to have someone around me all the time, at ease with my own company. I was so happy to find a guy who understood and respected that, since there's nothing I hate more than couples who live in each other’s pockets. We called each other maybe every second or third day and met up around twice a week. Usually he’d pick me up from uni but sometimes I’d stay round his. Turns out, he’d been taking advantage of my laid-back attitude to sleep around with other women.

Taking the microphone off the stand, I leant into the chorus, hand banging in time with the beat.

_“I see red! Red, oh red_

_Gun to your head! Head, to your head_

_Now all I see is red, red, red.”_

Straightening up and pushing my hair back off of my face, I transitioned into the second verse.

_“Did you really just say, she didn’t mean anything?_

_I’ll remember those words, when I come for your soul, your soul.”_

Focusing back on the crowd, I was once again drawn to that piercing stare. With the stage lights dimmed, I could make out a few more features. He was tall, probably around the six-foot mark, appeared to be in his mid-thirties with gently coiffed hair and thick-rimmed glasses. I didn’t know what, but something about him captivated me. Shaking it off, I turned to walk the length of the stage as I continued the second verse.

_“Know that you, ooh-ooh_

_You dug your own grave, now lie in it!_

_You’re so cru-el_

_But revenge is a dish best served cold!”_

Jumping up and down, I threw myself into the second chorus, determined to ignore the eyes I could feel burning their way into my core.

* * *

Stepping down from the stage after finishing the set, I headed to what passed for “backstage” but was, in actuality, just the staff room.

Pulling a towel from my bag, I started wiping the sweat from my brow only to be interrupted by the manager striding toward me.

“Hey Faye, great set today. The audience was really feeling you, don’t think we’ve been that packed in a while!” He grinned broadly, dimples flashing.

“Thanks Dave! I couldn’t really see everyone, with the lights ‘n all, but the energy was really high.” I smiled back.

“Well keep it up and you’ll be playing Madison Square Garden in no time!” We both chuckled at that, before he handed me an envelope. “Anyway, here’s your cut. You’re more than welcome to play here again. In fact, here’s my number, we’ll set something up?” He quirked an eyebrow at me.

I shoved my towel, his card and the envelope in my bag. “Cheers mate. I’ll give you a ring sometime in the week?” He nodded at me as I swung my bag onto my shoulder. Throwing him a sloppy two-finger salute I headed to the door.

Usually, I liked to hang around after a gig but tonight I just wasn’t feeling it. There were the stirrings of a migraine brewing behind my eyes – a trait I inherited from my mother – and I wanted to get home before it hit.

Walking quickly through the crowd, I kept my head down, not wanting to draw attention. Nonetheless, I couldn’t help but slyly look around for the man I’d seen from the stage. It wasn’t until I reached the outside that I spotted him. He was waiting at the taxi rank with a man I presumed was his friend, by the way he was drunkenly leaning on him. And if I thought the man was tall before? Well, he had nothing on his friend who looked to be something of a mountain man.

Raking my eyes over the guy who first captured my interest, I noticed he was dressed well. Dark skinny jeans with black and white trainers and a well-fitting plaid shirt. I must have been staring too long, however, as he suddenly looked up at me and our eyes locked once more. My lips automatically turned up at the corners in a little half-smile as I fought the urge to blush. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but was abruptly dragged into a cab by his friend – and the moment was lost.

Shrugging my bag up higher on my shoulder, I turned around and headed home. Longingly dreaming of a hot bath and some Tylenol.


	2. II.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Faye gets some R&R

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya. Thanks to the people who've checked out the story so far. This chap is definitely more of a filler but it's needed to set up some of the things ahead. Anyway, enjoy!

After dragging myself up four flights of stairs, I finally arrived at the door to my apartment. It wasn’t actually my apartment, but my friend James was letting me crash in his spare room for a while. Turns out, last minute relocation from one continent to another tend to be expensive. When I jumped on a plane from England, I wasn’t really thinking clearly. Between the flight from London and applying for a work visa, I had very little coin to my name. Fortunately J had a room spare so I didn’t have to break my back on his couch. We’d reached an agreement wherein I’d do all the cooking and cleaning, etc, and he’d let me stay rent free.   
  


It was a little degrading cleaning up after a grown man, but the alternative didn’t bear thinking about.   
  


Heading into the bathroom, I quickly went to the medicine cabinet and pulled out my migraine pills. As I walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water to swallow them with I contemplated whether it was worth waiting for the bath to run, or if I was better off just collapsing straight into bed.   
  


Mulling it over, I decided that a hot water bottle and my bed would suffice. After setting the kettle on the stove to boil, I crossed over to my room and changed into the oversized tee and shorts that I called pyjamas. Hearing the kettle start to whistle, I quickly filled up my water bottle and padded over to my bed.   
  


Wrapping myself up in my duvet, I couldn’t help but think of the guy from earlier. I wondered what he would’ve said to me. Would it have been a cheesy one liner or a formal introduction? Was his voice deep like I imagined it? Or, was it more raspy? If his friend didn’t pull him away, if I wasn’t fighting off a migraine, would we have sat down for a drink? What kind of things would we talk about?

Sighing, I snuggled down deeper into the covers. It didn’t really matter I suppose. I’d probably never see him again anyway knowing my luck. I’d always had a problem with daydreams. They were my escape mechanism of choice. Only, I almost always end up projecting them into a person or situation, and then being disappointed when they didn’t live up to the fantasy.   
  


Truthfully, that probably had something to do with my break up with Lane. Of course, the majority of the blame could be laid at his feet for being a lying treacherous bastard.

But I had a habit of reading too much into small gestures and building fantasies off them. It was something I was working on but sometimes, like tonight, I slipped up. 

Finally feeling the meds start to kick in, I emptied my mind of all thoughts and let the drugs lull me off to sleep. 

* * *

Waking up the next day was a struggle. Thankfully I had managed to avoid an all-out migraine, but the drugs left my mind feeling clouded and groggy. Laying there I started mentally running through my checklist for the day. I had a couple of interviews scheduled for tomorrow that I needed to prepare for. Now that my work visa had come through, I didn't have to rely on cash payments from the few gigs I was able to book. Now I had options and I was excited to start truly living my life again. 

I loved performing, but it wasn't something I saw myself doing full-time or long term. Singing for people was just my version of therapy. I could vent all my emotions and get applauded for it. There's no way I'd be able to keep up that energy and emotion night after night - and that's assuming I'd even make it. 

Heaving my body upright, I rubbed my face with my hands before forcing myself to get up and face the day. Grabbing my towel and shower caddy, I heading for the bathroom. As I made my way through the apartment, I noted sounds emanating from the kitchen, signaling that James was up and about. Ignoring that for now I entered the bathroom to start my Sunday ritual. 

Every Sunday was hair care and self-care day for me. James used to make fun of me for taking up his bathroom for near enough the whole day, at least until I walked him through it. I started by detangling my 4A/B hair with a wide tooth comb. Since I'd passed out pretty much as soon as I'd gotten home, I didn't braid it up like I usually do, making the process slightly harder. 

Then I applied shampoo direct to my roots with my hair still dry, making sure to get a good scalp massage in. Each week I alternated between a shampoo and an apple cider vinegar rinse. Turning the shower on, I stripped down before slipping in. 

After rinsing the shampoo, I followed it up with a 3-minute hair mask. While that was doing its thing, I turned my attention to my body. Lathering up with a loofa before rinsing and using a sugar scrub. That done, I combed my hair through again with the wide tooth comb, before rinsing, wringing out my hair and leaving the shower. 

Towel wrapped around my body; I used the t-shirt I'd slept in to squeeze the excess water out of my hair before sectioning it into four and applying a deep conditioner. Twisting the various sections up into Bantu knots, I popped my hair in a shower cap. After toweling off and applying deodorant and coconut oil to my skin, I left the bathroom and dumped my stuff in my room. I'd leave the product in my hair for at least a couple hours while I attended to other tasks. 

* * *

Having gotten dressed in sweats and a crop top and feeling better for having showered, I continued on to the kitchen. Entering the space, I spotted James eating scrambled eggs straight from the pan whilst standing up. 

"Ladies and gentlefolk, here we have the lesser-spotted Man of Sophistication." I put on my best David Attenborough impression as I walked up behind him, "Notice the way he almost inhales his feast. Such a vigorous pace that no mere mortal could accomplish. The Man of Sophistication swallows legendary mouthfuls with nary a chew!" I continued. 

Turning around to face me, he only raised an eyebrow before quipping, "That's what he said." 

I flashed him a sardonic look as I crossed over to the fridge to see what food he'd left me. Nothing apart from 3 eggs, cheese and a sad looking tomato greeted me. Looks like I'd be going grocery shopping today then. Grabbing the cheese and the eggs I headed over to the stovetop. 

"Nice cap you got there," he remarked, flicking it with his finger as I passed him, "that time of the week again?" 

Hip checking him out of the way, I leaned down to grab a skillet out of the cupboard, "Only every Sunday!" I replied, in an over the top cheery tone. "Anyway," I continued in my normal voice, "how come you're up so early? And making yourself breakfast at that?" Waiting for the pan to heat up, I started whisking the eggs together with some salt and pepper. 

"Well I heard you get in late last night and came to say hi but you were too busy shuffling around like a zombie. Figured you had one of your head things and could use a break." He shrugged, "Plus scrambled eggs aren't exactly Michelin star worthy, y'know?" 

Pouring the egg mixture in the pan, I answered him, "Well my head thingy, as you so eloquently put it, is mostly gone now. Just some residual ache. I'll be good to go and grab some groceries once I've finished my hair an' that." 

"Cool," He bobbed his head as he gently placed his pan and fork in the sink, "Don't you have interviews tomorrow? I thought you'd be prepping for those." 

"I mean yeah, but I'm pretty good at bullshitting my way through at this point. I'll do some research later." I sprinkled grated cheese onto the omelette and walked over to another cupboard to grab some hot sauce. 

"What are they for anyway? I can't remember if you told me or not." 

Turning off the hob and folding the omelette in half, I drizzled hot sauce over the top and took the pan off the heat. Taking a leaf out of James' book, I decided to eat right out of the skillet. "Well I've got three today. One's for a production assistant, the other as a PA and then one as a bartender." 

"One of those is not like the others." James laughed. 

"The way I see it, if nothing else pans out, at least I can make money as a bartender. After all, not all of us are lucky sods who found a well-paying job straight out of uni," I prodded him with the end of my fork, "Oops, you guys say college over here. Face it man, you got it good, 2 promotions in 4 years. I'm jealous!" 

I was only partly kidding. I'd gone to school for Creative Media Production and minored in Business Administration. That's where I met James actually. He's actually a year and a half older than me and had taken a year off to travel and ended up falling in with my friend group. We seemed to always end up grouped together by virtue of being the only single ones. We eventually bonded and, aside from one drunken hook-up, have been friends ever since. 

He went back to LA and I finished up my degrees. Unfortunately, the job market wasn't really there and I ended up trapped in a management job at a local department store. I did some freelance work here and there to keep myself in the game, but I just had to face facts. I had a degree from a good school that I hadn't really used in almost four years, were my skills even relevant anymore? 

Shaking myself out of my reverie, I finished up my breakfast and cleaned the dishes. James had gone back into his room so I pretty much had the living space to myself. Slumping down onto the sofa I pulled my laptop over to me and lost myself in researching the companies I would be interviewing for the next day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *If the ending seems a tad abrupt, it's cause the chapter ended up getting away from me so I thought it best to cut it off there. See you next time!  
> ~TCS


	3. III.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Room with a (inter)view Pt.1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'll be splitting this chapter in two. Reason being, is that it massively got away from me and I have a million other things I need to do today to get ahead of the week and I'd reached a natural stopping point. If there's any glaring errors, please let me know! But do read the end chap notes first :)

It was only 11:30 in the morning and I was completely and absolutely ready to write this day off as a loss and go home. I angrily threw my bag into the backseat of J’s car before slamming the door and jumping in the driver’s seat. Which was made considerably more difficult by the dark grey midi peplum hemmed skirt I was wearing. It seemed like a good idea at the time, and certainly complimented the look I was sporting; a royal blue button up shirt and patent court shoes. However, it did really hamper my maneuverability. 

I'd just left my first interview of the day. Turns out, when the ad had said “Personal Assistant needed” it really did mean “personal”. Shuddering, I rubbed my arms. No number of showers and almond body scrubs would be enough to wash off the feeling of his lingering touch. He’d practically undressed me with his eyes the second I walked through the door. 

* * *

_“Good morning Miss Adams.” He smiled, holding his hand out to shake. As soon as I clasped it, however, he used his grip on me to pull me into his body. “Just relax my dear,” he whispered into my hair, his other hand coming up to rest on my hip, “I promise I don’t bite.” He finished._

_“Thanks,” I grimaced, extracting myself from his grasp, “shall we get to it then? I imagine you’re very busy and I wouldn’t want to take up too much of your time.” The sooner we started the sooner I could get outta here, I reasoned._

_“_ _Quite_ _. This way then.” He gestured, leading me into his office._

_The interview itself was very standard, if one ignored the way he stared at my mouth, my hips, or the opening of my collared shirt. Not to_ _mention_ _, the way he kept shoehorning in_ _increasingly_ _less subtle innuendos._

_“This position would entail working directly **under** me, can you handle that?” _

_“Would you say that_ _you're_ _ **flexible**? In your hours of __availability_ _, obviously.”_

_“There’d be a lot of **long** and **hard** hours in this job. Are you prepared to _**_go all night_** , _if it’s required?”_

_And who can forget,_

_“I’d be putting my **personal** , **sensitive** business in your hands, can I trust you take care of it **thoroughly** and respectfully? _

_I answered each question as professionally as possible, determined not to let him see me squirm. After what felt like eternity, he was called away to attend another meeting. We said our goodbyes by the door of his office. Though, I didn’t fail to notice the way he stood in the doorway, taking up most of the frame so I’d have to squeeze by him in order to leave. As I angled my body sideways to do just that, he took the opportunity to lightly squeeze my ass as I brushed past him. As I waited by the elevator, I'm 90% certain I saw him adjust himself in his trousers as he headed down the corridor._

* * *

Bringing myself back to the present, I realised I'd been sat in the front seat with my hands in a death grip on the steering wheel. Slowly exhaling, it took a few tries before I was able to relax my hands enough to let go. 

Tipping my head back against the headrest, I took a few moments just to breathe. I’d had my fair share of creeps hitting on me, but none quite so heavy handed as that. Was it a cultural thing? Were Americans more brazen than us English folk? Is it an LA thing? Hopefully, it was just the one man. I didn’t think I would survive out here for very long if every interaction would be like that one. 

Reaching over to the passenger side, I grabbed my trainers and switched them out for my heels. Then I started the car and leaned toward the centre console to input the address for my next interview. Catching sight of the time, I swore under my breath. I’d been sat here for much longer than I realised and was now dangerously close to running late. Selecting the first entry on the screen, I clipped in my seat belt, checked my mirrors and indicated before pulling out into traffic. 

* * *

Turning on the radio since my phone was in my bag in the backseat, I fumbled around a bit before settling on a station that was playing what appeared to be a mixture of 90’s throwbacks and current music. As I drove, I used the time to think about the upcoming interview. It was the one for the Producer’s assistant. It was also probably the one I was most excited and nervous for in equal measures. 

Excited, because it'd be doing something I love and if I got it I’d finally be able to put my degree into practice and get my foster parents off my back. 

Nervous, because I wanted it so damn much and I hadn’t worked in the field ever really and what if they saw my resume and just laughed me out of the room? 

Forcing myself to un-tense, I tuned back into the world just as the familiar beats of one of my favourite songs from my childhood came on the radio. Taking it as a sign to put my worries and my stresses from the morning aside, I turned the volume up and sang along to One, Two Step by Ciara. 

I had so many fond memories of this song, dancing in my living room at my foster parents house. Hogging the phone line as I used dial-up internet to watch the music video on repeat on our tiny computer. Making my friends do dances with me that I'd made up to go with the song. I even begged my foster mother to buy me roller skates for my birthday so I could be like the dancers in the video. My 21st birthday, this song came on as I was pre-drinking with my friends. I almost brained myself on the table as I swung my, then, elbow length braids around. 

Grin firmly fixed on my face; I turned the radio up even more to rap along to Missy Elliot’s part. This had always been my favourite part and never failed to make me laugh.

“ _I shake it like_ _jello_ _, make the boys say hello_ _‘cause_ _they know I'm rocking the beat_

_I know you heard about a lotta great MC’s but they got nothing on me._

_Because_ _I'm_ _5’2 I_ _wanna_ _dance with you and have sophisticated fun._

_I eat fillet mignon and_ _I'm_ _nice an’ young, best believe_ _I'm_ _number one.”_

After dancing and singing along to a few more songs, I finally pulled into the parking lot of the studio building. Checking the clock on the dash, I sighed in relief. I had just made it and with two minutes to spare. 

Jumping out the door I sped round the vehicle and grabbed my purse from the backseat. Quickly hitting the lock on the car keys, I practically sprinted through the front door. 

Just managing to stop myself before I crashed into the receptionist's desk, I hurriedly explained to him that I was here for an interview, explanations and apologies for being late spewing from my lips. 

“Don’t worry so much,” he chuckled, “we’re not really a formal bunch here. Besides, Stevie’s still busy cleaning up the boy's mess.” he joked. 

Unsure if I was supposed to know who “the boys” were, I nervously laughed along with him. 

“Anyway, I just need to sign you in here and then you can take a seat.” He handed me a clipboard with a visitor sign in sheet attached. I took it from him and began filling it in quickly while he contacted the person in charge of my interview. 

“Stevie should be here shortly; you can have a seat over there if you want.” 

“Thanks.” I handed him back the sign-in sheet, “Actually can I ask, what's it like working here? I’m guessing you have all the inside scoop.” I smiled at him. It never fails to make a good impression, especially since potential employers like to ask about you to every person you come into contact with. 

“Well I don’t know about _all_ the gossip,” he leant toward me, “but I do know that they're a fun-loving bunch and no two days are the same. I’d recommend having a strong stomach. You really don’t know what you’ll get with these guys.” He paused as we both heard footsteps coming towards us from the hallway to the left. 

Beckoning me in closer, he lowered his voice even more. “Just ask about the pickle incident. But you didn’t hear it from me.” He flashed a cheeky wink as he mimed zipping his lips. 

Turning around in his chair, he greeted the newcomer. “Hey Stevie, looking radiant as always.” I pushed away my shock that the woman in front of me was the Stevie who would be interviewing me. It seemed this guy was a natural flirt. At least he was definitely more charming about it than the man I'd just interviewed for. I could easily tell that it was just banter and, judging from the smirk on her face, so could Stevie. 

As they exchanged pleasantries, I zoned out a little. Looking down to make sure my outfit wasn’t too wrinkled; it was only now I noticed that I’d forgotten to change out of my driving shoes and was still in my trainers. I almost groaned aloud but managed to catch it in time. 

Focusing back on the people in front of me I realised they’d finished chatting and were both looking at me expectantly. 

Shit. Between my lateness, my attire and disconnectedness, I was pretty much tanking this. 

“Apologies, I’m just a little nervous,” I hedged, “what did you say?” 

“Danny just introduced you to me and then I said it was a pleasure to meet you.” Stevie explained, a laugh hiding behind her eyes. 

“Oh, yes, sorry! It's lovely to meet you too!” 

“Why don’t we stop loitering in the lobby and head over to my office? It’s a little bit of a walk but I see you’re already dressed for that.” She nodded at my feet as she turned to start walking down the corridor. 

Not knowing her well enough to know if she was joking, I hurried to explain, “No, sorry, I, um. I left my last interview late and it was all the way across town and my foster dad drilled it into me to never drive in heels and then when I got here I was so worried I was late that I just ran right out of the car...” I rambled. I didn’t do it often but now that I was here the nerves were kicking in - big time. 

“Don’t worry,” She cut me off, “I’m sure Danny told you we’re not big on formalities here. Though it does explain why you’re so dressed up. Not that it’s a bad thing!” She hastened to add, after seeing the look on my face, “Just that most people who come here turn up in jeans.” 

Relaxing a little, I tried to pay attention as she gave an impromptu tour on the way to her office. It was interesting enough, and I said hi to a few people that we passed, but I honestly don’t think anything was sinking in. Taking slow even breaths I tried to calm down and stop thinking about all the things that could go wrong. 

I’m a pretty confident person usually, and I wasn’t lying when I told James that I was good at blagging my way through interviews. But the combination of pre-jitters and the events of this morning were affecting me more than I thought. I knew I’d be alright once the interview proper started and I was in more familiar territory. 

Seeing Stevie start to slow down, I figured we had arrived. I had just enough time to take one more deep breath before she turned to me and opened the door to her office, ushering me in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so a couple of things.  
> 1\. There will be no set update schedule, it'll just be whenever the gods gift me with the motivation  
> 2\. If it's not already clear, I'm British. Born and raised in England and so is the OFC so I may use slang and spellings that aren't familiar to other places. The flip side of that is, I'm not American. Never even visited, so if I get the terminology or descriptions or whatever wrong, please let me know.  
> 3\. I don't have an in depth knowledge of GMM and its crew. I only "discovered" them about a month ago so this story will be leaning heavily on creative licence. Characters that you know and love may be completely OOC but hey, that's the luck of the draw!  
> 4\. There is no set time period for this. I found GMM through compilation videos in my YT recommended. I have neither the knowledge nor the desire to comb through years of footage to accurately portray a specific decade. I headcannon Link & Rhett to be in their late 30's but I may end up referencing things that don't fit within that timeline.
> 
> See you in a couple of days!  
> ~TCS


	4. IV.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Room with an "inter"view part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's part 2. Not completely happy with it, but we move!
> 
> Enjoy, see you in a couple days for a special chapter ;)

Settling down, I placed my handbag by the foot of the chair I was in and slid a copy of my resume over to Stevie.

"Okay, so for today I figured we could get the standard stuff out of the way and then go from there, sound good?"

I nodded a yes.

"Great.  So, what attracted you to the position?"

"Well I went to school for Creative media production. I've never been one for the limelight. I much prefer being the one who brings everything together and being able to look at finished product and think wow, that was me. I made that happen. Y'know? Sorry if that sounds conceited."

"No, I totally get what you mean." She reassured me.

I flashed her a grateful smile. "Anyway, after college I had a difficult time finding work in the industry. I didn't really have any connections and no one was looking to hire a newbie fresh out of school. Then I got talking to my friend James who's been out here for a while and he convinced me to move to LA. Long story short I figured this job would be a great opportunity to expand my knowledge and expertise. Plus, the company reviews for this place were stellar." I winked at her, remembering what Danny said about no one taking themselves too seriously here.

Thankfully Stevie didn't seem weirded out and just laughed. "Oh really?" She leaned forward and propped her elbow on the table, resting her chin on it. "And, pray tell, what kinds of things did they say?" Her eyes sparkling with  humor .

"Well the usual," I leant back scratching my chin, pretending to think, "A lot of stuff about how hot everyone is, great coffee, good benefits." I laughed before snapping my fingers in a faux "a-hah" moment. "Oh wait! Now I probably shouldn't tell you this, but..." Here I leant forward while beckoning Stevie closer. She played along, looking over to the closed door before leaning in further, a smile on her face.

I dropped my voice into a stage whisper, "...There was even mention of an incident with some pickles!" I finished dramatically.

There was a split second where we both just looked at each other. Stevie was the first to break. Laughing uproariously, she flung her head back, almost toppling her chair. Thankful my joke landed, I let go and joined in the laughter.

A little while later, Stevie was visibly fighting to get control of herself.

"Okay, okay." She was breathless with laughter at this point, "You're totally hi-hired!" She bit through her giggles.

It took me a second to react to what she said, as I was doubled over holding my stomach. But when it did sink in, I whipped my head up to stare at her with round eyes.

Seeing my awe-struck face pushed her into another bout of giggles.

"Wait really, you're really going to hire me?" I couldn't help but double check.

Stevie looked at me seriously, albeit with a grin still on her face. "Yeah totally. Look I've interviewed a lot of people and no one has made me laugh like that. You're qualified, have a great sense of style," she winked, "and an amazing sense of humor. You'll absolutely fit in here and I definitely want to work with you and I can see us becoming fast friends. So, what do you say? Wanna be part of the crew?" She stuck her hand over the desk.

"Uh, yeah, no way, absolutely!" I reached over and shook it a bit too enthusiastically. "Does this mean I actually get to find out the story behind the pickle incident?"

"Nice try." She smirked, "I like you but not that much. Let's exchange numbers and I'll give you a call to sort out all the details." She passed her phone over to me.

"Sweet." I responded, doing as she asked. That done, we said our goodbyes. I made sure to head over to the reception desk to thank him for his help. As I finished signing out, he congratulated me on getting the job.

"Thanks." I smiled at him. "I look forward to seeing you around!"

"You too girlie. Have a Good Mythical Day!" He responded.

"You as well!" I waved goodbye as I turned to head out to the parking lot. It wasn't until I was pulling out of the car park that his words caught up with me. "Have a good mythical day"? What does that even mean? Shrugging it off, I changed lanes before once again blasting the radio.

* * *

I was about 15 minutes into the drive when my eyes caught a sight of bakery/cafe. As if on cue, my stomach rumbled, reminding me that I hadn't eaten since that morning. Deciding to treat myself I turned left at the next corner and found somewhere to park. After all, if I'm going to be working in the area, I might as well get to know the local eateries.

Pushing the door open and hearing the little bell tinkle, I couldn't help but take a deep breath. This place smelt fantastic.

There  were tables over on the right side of the room and the register, coffee machine and display cases were on the left.

Moving from the doorway, ran my eyes over the display case. They had a healthy mix of cakes, pasties and even some sandwiches. It wasn't too busy, so I took some time to decide what I wanted to eat. Already determined to come back as there was so much I wanted to  try, I joined the queue.

I spent the short wait trying to choosing between a salted caramel cupcake and what I had recently learned was called a Boston cream. Seeing I was next up, I decided I would just get both and see which I preferred. After giving my order and adding an iced vanilla latte, I headed to the end of the bar to wait. 

Pulling my phone out I messed around checking my emails for a bit until I heard my order called. Picking it up, I figured since it was such a nice day and I had nothing pressing to do I'd sit outside to enjoy my treats.

Lowering myself into one of the white painted chairs outside the cafe/bakery, I cast my gaze around aimlessly. This was a really nice area. It seemed to be mostly independently owned small business which gave it a more relaxed, "authentic" feel compared to the main parts of LA. I could picture myself here, on a sunny afternoon with a good book and good food, just enjoying life.

For the first time in a while, probably since I got to America, I felt truly at peace. At home in my skin. Now the pressure was off, I had a great friend, a roof over my head and finally a job. One that I was hopelessly excited for. Today was a good day. "Maybe I will call Dave and set up another gig." I thought to myself. Taking a big bite of my muffin, I decided to embrace my millennial self and take a selfie to commemorate the occasion and my good mood.

Raising my phone up, I took another bite of my muffin, making sure to get some frosting on my lips. Puffing my cheeks out comically, I crossed my eyes and took the shot. Laughing to myself, I took a few more, pulling various funny faces until I was satisfied. Chewing my mouthful as I lowered my phone from in front of my face, my grey eyes locked onto a blue pair 10 times as striking.

It was the guy. The one from the show. He was in front of me. In broad daylight. This was not a dream. I had no idea what to do. Before I could figure it out, the choice was once again taken out of my hands when his friend from the other night showed up and elbowed him toward the door. As he turned to head inside, I couldn't help but run my eyes over his  figure. He was dressed pretty similarly to when I'd last seen him. Dark jeans a plaid shirt and trainers. As I lifted my gaze in the hopes of getting another glimpse of his face, my eyes caught on a feature that I hadn't seen in the dark outside the bar.

A glint of gold on his left hand.

He was married.

Fuck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wonder if anyone's picked up any hints yet...?
> 
> See you next time  
> ~TCS


	5. V. (Edited)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link POV ;)  
> ***Now edited***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had planned to get this chapter written and uploaded sooner, but this weeks been a WEEK. Anyway, here we are. I've know ever since chapter one that I specifically wanted Chapter five to be Link's point of view. I had no idea what it was going to be, until yesterday/today so I hope I did him justice!
> 
> *** Edited the second half of this chapter to further clarify for future events, so please read carefully

“What’s wrong brother? You seem kinda spooked.” Rhett asked me as we joined the queue to the counter. 

“Nothing's up man, just thinking m’ thoughts. You know me.” I tried to laugh it off. Not sure how to describe what just happened, even to myself. 

Rhett just hummed. We stood in silence for a few moments, ordering and then taking our food and drinks over to a nearby table. The whole time I couldn’t help but think of that girl I saw earlier. How she seemed so alive on that small stage, thick black curls flying. Part of me wondered what it’d be like to run my hands through her hair, across her skin. The lights reflected perfectly off her brown skin, giving her almost an amber/golden halo. She just seemed so full of energy and life. 

Even just a second ago, I noticed her because of her laugh. Seeing her pull funny faces at her phone, not caring if anyone saw her, something about it – about her – just made me want to smile and laugh along with her. I don’t think I'd ever seen someone dressed so seriously take themselves so _not_ seriously. 

I was so caught up imagining what she did for a living, my first guess was something in an office building based on her attire, but she seemed too carefree for that, that I didn’t notice we were already seated and Rhett was asking me a question. 

“Sorry man, what did you say?” 

“Seriously Link, what's going on with you? And don’t say nothing. I know you, something ain’t been right for weeks.” Rhett punctuated his sentence by waving his sandwich around. 

I sighed. Rhett was right, as always. “Me and Christy aren’t doing so well lately. Nothing too serious. Just felt like we lost something, y’know? And I don’t know how to get it back. I keep thinking, maybe it’ll work itself out. Maybe, it's just a phase or Christy’s on her period or somethin’. I guess I was just hoping, if I didn’t talk about it, it wasn’t real. I didn’t mean to shut you out.” 

“Oh bo. You know you can always talk to me. You don’t think me ‘n’ Jess ain't had our share of troubles? Remember that one time, a couple years ago? I stayed at yours for like a week? And look at us, we’re still going solid! Heck, I think I love her even more now, cause we been through all that.” 

Rhett went back to munching on his sandwich, “Y’all just need to work through it.” He spoke through his mouthful. 

He did have a point, I supposed. Married couples, unmarried couples, everyone went through some kind of times. It couldn’t be all sunshine and daisies after all. But this was different. Some days I look at her and I see a stranger staring back at me. 

I was slowly starting to dread coming home. Sometimes I have to force myself out of the car and into the house before anyone notices. I wasn’t lying to Rhett. It wasn’t anything serious, not really. 

We didn’t fight or call each other names. We didn’t side-eye each other or tiptoe around the house. I’d come home, Christy would give me a kiss and an update on the kids. Other than that, we didn’t touch. I’d go upstairs and shower, before coming down and spending time with our children. We’d all have dinner; I’d do the dishes and help the boys with their homework. Lily and Christy would be watching some reality show in the background. We’d all come together and watch an episode or two of Survivor. Christy and I would alternate reading stories to Lando and then we’d all go our separate ways before heading to bed. 

Everything on the surface was fine. We were picture perfect. So why did I feel so unsettled in my own home? 

I sipped my drink as I looked out the windows. The girl was gone now. Probably for the best. What are the odds I'd see her twice in the span of three days? Maybe she was local? But Rhett and I had been coming to this place for a while now, at all times of the day and I’d never seen her before. 

I don’t know why I was so stuck on her. Yeah, she was beautiful, but so were a hundred other women I’d see in day. I snorted into my cup. Maybe I was going through a mid-life crisis. Hell, maybe I should go pick out a sports car! 

I picked apart my bagel. I thought on Rhett’s words some more. Maybe it was time to stop running. Just face my problems head on. 

“Hey Rhett?” He lifted his head up to look at me, “Do you think-” Just then both our phones started ringing. Exchanging glances of trepidation, we stood up and headed for the door, hands reaching for our devices. 

* * *

Pulling my glasses off, I scrubbed a hand over my face. We’d just gotten done re-shooting the episode that was slated for tomorrow morning’s release. It wouldn’t have been so bad, except my mind was still on the conversation from lunch so it was hard to put on my usual happy-go-lucky exterior. 

Apparently, something had gone wrong with the servers or the cloud or something. I wasn’t entirely sure what - Stevie handled the techy side of the business. But that meant we’d lost almost three weeks' worth of footage. All of which we were now going to have to re-shoot. 

Currently I was in mine and Rhett's shared office where we were waiting for Stevie, so we could have a meeting about how to proceed. 

It was safe to say, none of us were in a very happy mood. If this turned out to be malicious, let's just say heads would roll. So, it was no wonder that when Stevie let herself in, we all got straight to business. 

After almost 45 minutes, we finally sat back and took a breather. We had a rough plan of attack. The easiest episodes to re-film were probably the Will Its’ and the Taste Tests’, so we’d bank a couple of those. We’d have to push back some of the more prop heavy ideas at least until next week. Of course, we’d talk to the crew too but at least we had a tentative schedule for the rest of the week. 

“Oh hey,” I looked over to where Stevie was seated on the couch, “I forgot to tell you I finally hired an assistant this morning.” She smiled at us. 

“Congrats!” I told her. I knew she’d been frustrated trying to find the right person for a while. 

“Yeah, congratulations.” Rhett echoed.

"It's kinda funny really," Stevie continued, tilting her head, "I could've sworn I didn't have any more interviews this week."

"It probably just slipped your mind." I reasoned, "I mean you've been really busy doing the work of like 3 people. It's only natural that something slipped through the cracks. If anything this just proves you're human like the rest of us." I threw her a cheeky wink for good measure.

“Actually,” Rhett chimed in, stroking his beard, “this could be a really good thing for us. How soon can they start?” 

“Well, I haven’t spoken to her since this morning. Why, you want me to bring her in now?” Stevie raised an eyebrow in his direction. 

“Well, I mean it couldn’t hurt, could it? She is qualified, right?"

Stevie nodded. "Yeah she left her resume on my desk if you want to go over it?"

"Naw I trust you. But, let's face it guys. We’re up shit creek without a paddle and it's all hands on deck.” He swung his gaze between the both of us. 

She hummed, “Link? What do you think?” Stevie asked me. 

I shrugged at her. “It’s your call lady. I mean, you do more work than the two of us,” I gestured between me and Rhett, “like Rhett says, we’ll need all the help we can get. Plus, you already said you were hiring her anyway, so...” I trailed off. 

She looked at both of us for a minute before nodding. “Okay. You both make good points. I’ll give her a ring, you two round up the crew for a debrief. After that, I’ll see who I can talk to, to figure out what the fuck happened.” She stood up to leave, already pulling her phone out of her pocket. 

“Aye-aye boss lady!” 

“Yes ma’am!” Rhett and I both saluted at the same time. Shaking her head at us, she left the room. 

Standing up, I stretched my back out before looking over at Rhett. “We should probably do what she says.” I told him sticking my thumb out towards the door. 

He nodded his agreement and we grabbed our laptops, I stopped to swipe a la croix from our mini fridge and, together, we headed out. 

“At least today can’t get any worse right?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I don't know where the malfunction plot came from, except I have this reeeeally minor pet peeve where people in fics get hired and then start the next day. Idk if its just a cultural difference but at least here in the uk it just doesn't happen, between background checks, training and getting you put in the system/payroll, even if you have no notice period, you probably wouldn't start work for at least 2 weeks. I guess this is my way around that without being too hypocritical, cause I didn't fancy writing two weeks of bureaucracy or do a time skip so... here you go? 
> 
> Anyway, thank you for liking, commenting and subscribing!
> 
> See you in a few days!  
> ~TCS


	6. VI.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Panic and Oreos?  
> ***Edited for typos and clarity***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a little bit later in the day for an update - apologies. I seem to have found myself in the rhythm of uploading every wednesday/thursday and then sundays. I'm gonna try to stick to that, but no promises!

I must have looked ridiculous. Sat there frozen, frosting still caked all over my lips. It took me longer than I'm willing to admit to move from my position. Wiping the icing off my mouth, I bundled up my things and threw the rest in a nearby rubbish bin, appetite gone. 

Not letting myself look behind me, I practically speed-walked away from the café. Internally, I was kicking myself. For all that I thought I'd grown up and learnt from past mistakes, I was still that same little girl who got too caught up in fantasies. Slowing my steps as I approached the car, I rummaged around in my bag for the keys. 

“Stupid, stupid, stupid.” I muttered angrily to myself as I hopped in the front seat. Why did it even matter to me that he was married? He was a stranger to me. Just some random guy. We didn’t know each other. We’d never even spoken a word. 

_So why was I so disappointed?_

I turned the key in the ignition and near about shit myself when music came blasting out of the speakers, forgetting that I'd cranked the volume up on the way here. But the shock loosened the knot in my chest, and I couldn’t help but laugh. 

_What was I doing here?_ No really ? I was a thousand miles from home after, literally, _f_ _leeing the country_ after catching my boyfriend cheating on me. I was a live-in maid for a guy I hadn’t seen in person for over four years. I was performing mediocre gigs in bars to earn myself freaking lunch money. I'd almost been straight up molested earlier today, by a guy with _breathtaking_ halitosis, may I add. And then I went on to score what was pretty much my dream job after just one interview. 

Yet here I was, sitting in a borrowed car, about to _I don’t even know what._ All because some rando I’d only seen twice had a ring on it? 

**Fuck.**

**That.**

**Noise.**

As I sat there, surrounded by the cacophony of some top 40 hit, I decided I wasn’t going to let this ruin my day. I had bigger and better things to focus on. 

Determination coursing through me, I quickly completed the drive home, mentally compiling a check-list of things I wanted to get done. LA traffic was the worst, but I managed to avoid the worst of it. Just another thing I was slowly getting used to. I mean, sure, we had traffic back home but nothing like it was here. For once I was glad for American’s penchant for automatic cars, the stop-start of traffic would’ve been murder on my calves otherwise. 

Once I got in, I threw my hair into a messy braid and changed into a pair of denim shorts and a cropped hoodie. Spotting the calendar that I kept on my dresser, I took a second to write “call Kayli” on my arm. It was a habit I'd developed in secondary school. Now the only way I was certain to remember anything was if I wrote it on my arms – never mind the hundreds of lectures about ink poisoning I’d gotten over the years. 

I pulled the notes app up on my phone and headed into the kitchen, where I made a note of anything that needed replenishing. I never did end up doing it yesterday. Between doing my hair and still being tired from the migraine, I just didn’t have the energy. Stopping to grab a granola bar and bottle of water from the fridge, I swiped the keys from the counter, shoved my feet into my lilac crocs and headed back out the door. 

* * *

Thankfully, the grocery store wasn’t far from where we lived and, soon enough, I was pulling into the nearby Ralph's. I figured I’d make a special dinner for James. Both to celebrate my new job and just to thank him for being my friend. 

As wheeled my trolley inside I realised I never really thanked him properly for what he’d done for me. Obviously, I'd expressed gratitude but, unless 3 am tequila confessions count, I'd never really expounded on what him encouraging me to move to LA and giving me a free roof over my head meant to me. Tonight, I was going to change that. 

I wasn’t sure what exactly I was going to make, however. James was far from picky, put a plate of food in front of him and it’d be gone in a blink. But that meant I had no idea what foods would really speak to him. What do you make a man who eats anything and everything? 

I wandered the aisles, munching on my granola bar, picking up bits and pieces here and there. Just kinda hoping inspiration would strike. In the end I decided on a simple and quick pan-fried sea bass, with a lemon and herb garlic sauce and new potatoes. Then I'd go all out and make my favourite Oreo cheesecake. It was time consuming as fuck, but soooo worth it. Thankfully, James had a sweet-tooth that rivaled my own. 

After loading up the car, I checked the time on my phone. It was just coming up to three in the afternoon. James’ friend was going to be dropping him off from work, since I had the car for my interviews. He usually got home around 7, so I had just under four hours to make the cheesecake before he arrived. There's no way it’d set in time, but we could always eat it later. 

Getting home, I unpacked the groceries and started prepping the ingredients. The base was by far the easiest part. I’d set the oven to preheat the second I got through the door. Now it was just a matter of blitzing up a couple dozen Oreo's with some melted butter, slapping it in a spring-form pan and sticking it in the oven. 

As I was waiting for the dairy ingredients to warm up to room temp, I caught sight of the writing on my arm. After doing a bit if mental math, I realised it was nearing 11pm in England. Not wanting to face her wrath if I woke Kayli up, I opted just to send her a text. 

‘Hey girl. Sorry I didn't call you earlier. Got some news. You still up?’ 

Me and Kayli had only been friends for a few years. We met in a nightclub in London. More specifically, we met in a bathroom in a nightclub in London. It was the typical drunk girl scenario. I complimented her shoes, she complimented my dress. We took a thousand selfies and declared ourselves best friends forever. Eye-roll. As much as it makes me cringe, looking back at that memory, I'm also grateful. 

She’s been there for everything, always has my back, albeit, not without making a dozen faux-shady comments. She’s the only friend I had that I didn’t go to school or college or university with. Which, in hindsight, is probably why she was the only one of my friends who _didn’t_ know that Lane was cheating on me. 

Ever since the move we’ve made a pact to call or face-time each other at least once a week. Of course, the time difference makes that tricky. It’ll probably be worse once I start working, but we’ll figure it out somehow. Cross that bridge, and all that. 

I was in the middle of breaking Oreo's into chunks to add to the filling when my phone rang. Seeing it was Stevie, I placed it on the counter next to me and put it on speaker while I carried on with my task. 

“Hey Stevie, what's up? Didn’t think I'd hear from you this soon.” 

“Hey. Listen, I know it’s a big ask but- what's that sound?” She cut herself off to ask. 

“Oh, you're on speaker, sorry. I’m just breaking up some Oreo's to make a cheesecake.” 

“Dude you bake? That sounds delicious!” 

“Yeah and I'm not half bad, if I do say so myself. If you guys ever do a bake sale, I'll be sure to bring one in.” I chuckled. 

“Ha-ha, I’ll hold you to that!” She warned. “Anyway, the thing I wanted to say was, listen, I know it’s a big ask... but is there any way you can start this week? ...As in tomorrow?” Her voice got more high pitched towards the end of her sentence as she adopted a pleading tone. 

“Wait really? I mean yeah sure, but I haven’t got a car. I borrowed my friend’s one for my interviews today. I mean, I know I would’ve had to sort transport out anyway but-” 

She cut me off. “Don’t worry about it. Call an uber and we’ll charge it to the company.” 

“You sure? I’d hate to be a bother-” 

Stevie interrupted me again. “I’m going to be plain with you. Woman to woman. We’ve had a minor, major disaster here and we need all the help we can get. So, I’m on my knees here, can I expect to see you tomorrow?” 

“Well, since you asked me so nicely..” I drawled. 

“Yes!” Stevie cheered. “Awesome. You are a _lifesaver_. Get here for nine. Just text me or tell Danny to come get me when you’re in and we’ll get you set up with door codes etc. Sound good?” 

“Yes ma’am!” 

“Why does everyone keep saying that to me today?” I heard her mutter to herself. “Well I'll see you tomorrow. I gotta go and deal with this craziness. Word of advice? Get some rest tonight, you’re going to need it." And with that she hung up. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know. Kind of a filler chapter, but i needed to bridge the gap between chapters. I promise the next chap will be a bit meatier ;)
> 
> Thanks for liking, commenting and subscribing!
> 
> ~TCS


	7. VII. (Edited)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First day formalities  
> ***Edited for typo's and to clear up things for future plot points***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, kinda a long one. I wanted to squeeze in as much as possible but, for anyone who's disappointed about the lack of interaction between Link and Faye, I wasn't kidding about this being a slow burn. This gon' take a while. 
> 
> Enjoy!

By the time James got home from work, I was just beginning to plate up. 

“Honey I'm home!” He shouted as he deposited his bag and shoes by the front door. He liked to joke that I was his platonic stay at home wife. Most days I even found it funny. 

“Well, well. The man of the house, home at last!” I put on my best approximation of a southern accent. “I’ve just been slaving away at the oven, waitin’ for you to come home. Oh, darlin’ I’ve missed you so!” I faux swooned against the counter as James came into view. 

He laughed as he moved closer to me. “Well I should hope so lil’ lady. I’ve been makin’ all the boys at the office jealous, tellin’ ‘em tales about you an’ your cookin’.” He played along. 

We smiled at each other for a minute before simultaneously breaking out into laughter. “Seriously though, you’re in a really good mood. It’s nice to see. Haven’t seen you this happy since the night we mistook absinthe for apple sours.” 

“Oh my god _please_ don’t remind me!” I buried my head in my hands, “We did _so much_ illegal shit!” 

He just laughed at me and poked me in the side. “Shut up you had a great time and as I recall, it was you who dragged us into most of it.” 

I groaned out loud. “I _just_ told you not to remind me! Now go get changed before dinner gets cold.” 

“Sir, yes, sir!” James saluted at me, running out of the kitchen before I could hit him with the nearby tea towel. Shaking my head, I finished setting the little table and plating up. I sat down just as he came back into the room, decked out in grey sweats and a maroon tee. 

We chatted aimlessly while we ate, mostly it was him venting about the idiots he had to deal with at work. I didn’t mind, it was nice just to spend this time with him. He seemed to appreciate the meal at least, but to be fair, he usually ate like someone was going to take it away from him. It was actually quite impressive. He managed to be the one leading the conversation and yet finished eating at least a full five minutes before me. 

He helped me clear the table and then we both grabbed a beer and sat next to each other on the couch. 

“So, what's got you in this great mood then, Ma Cherie?” James asked, twirling one of the curls that had escaped my braid around his finger, as I flicked through channels trying to find something to watch. 

Settling on a rerun of New Girl, I turned to face him, folding my left leg under me. “Well... I may have landed this great job today and I may or may not start tomorrow!” I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. 

“No way!” He cheered, then his face dropped as he leaned in, “ _Please_ don’t tell me it’s the waitress thing. Not that there’s anything wrong with being a waitress!” He hastily corrected, “I just don’t want to see you taking a step backwards, is all.” 

“Dude, relax!” I laughed, laying a hand on his arm, “First off, the job was for a _bartender_. Secondly, no. You’re looking at a newly employed Production Assistant!” I sat up proudly. 

“Damn girl, you work fast! You said you start tomorrow?” 

“Yeah, Stevie said there’s been some kind of disaster, they normally wouldn’t have me in this quick but it’s an all hands on deck situation, I guess.” I shrugged one shoulder, then took a swig of my beer.” 

James copied me before setting his on the coffee table. “Well I'm proud of you.” He put his hand on my knee and looked me deep in my eyes, “I really mean that. I still remember when you first got here. Not to be mean, girl, but you were a mess. But now I look at you, you’ve got all this life inside you, like you’ve found your fire again. Ugh, look you’ve made me all sappy and-” 

He was cut off when I lunged across the sofa at him, enveloping him in a hug. “I couldn’t have done any of it without you.” I croaked, my voice coming out muffled somewhere against his neck. “You didn’t have to do all this for me and I can never thank you enough, but don’t worry, you man-card is safe. I won’t tell anyone you have feelings.” 

I felt him laugh above my head before he leaned down to press his face into my hair. “Thanks, I appreciate it.” 

We stayed like that for a few minutes, just breathing each other in. Until, as if by some mutual agreement, we separated and rearranged ourselves so James’ arm was around my shoulders and I was cuddled into his side. 

We drained our beers as we watched a few episodes of New girl before turning to a channel that was marathoning Harry Potter movies. At some point we switched to drinking wine, my head was pillowed in James’ lap and he was stroking my hair. There was no place I’d rather be. 

“Shit!” I exclaimed, sitting bolt upright, narrowly missing headbutting James in the chin. It was after midnight and the lights had long since been turned off, the only thing illuminating us was the TV screen. 

“Jesus! What?” He clutched a hand to his chest. 

“I made you a cheesecake!” My head was spinning from sitting up too fast, or maybe it was the bottle and a half of wine we’d drank. 

A confused frown slowly made its way onto James’ face. “You made me a what?” 

“A cheesecake!” I slapped him in the chest, “Y’know, for being my friend.” I stared up at him, as if that was magically going to make him understand. 

“Oh.” He still looked confused. “Well where is it?” He looked around. 

“Um.” I started to giggle, “In the freezer...” 

James’ eyebrows nearly flew off his head. “Why is my cake in the frezzer?” He slightly slurred, rubbing the sleep from his eye with one hand. 

“I wanted to surprise you but there wasn’t enough time, so... freezer.” I made a ta-da gesture with my hands. 

“Oh.” he repeated. “Should we go get it?” 

“Sure!” I tried to jump up but misjudged it, my leg getting tangled with James’ and I pitched forward. Thankfully, somehow James was able to catch my wrist and yank me back towards him. Except he used too much strength and I ended up landing elbow first into his stomach. This caused him to jack-knife up and headbutt me in the cheek. 

“Oomph.” 

“Ouch!” We both exclaimed at the same time. There was a 30 second pause where we both processed what happened before we both erupted into uncontrollable giggles. 

After we managed to pull ourselves together, we stumbled over to the kitchen and I pulled the cheesecake out of the freezer. James grabbed a fork from the drawer and I looked on in amazement as it just bounced off the surface of the desert. 

He turned to me and put the empty fork into his mouth and made over the top chewing noises. “Mmmmmmm! it’s Delicious!!” 

I chuckled, smacking the utensil out of his hand and laying my head on his chest. “Ugh I can't do anything right!” I had two fistfuls of his shirt and was using them to shake him gently. 

“Now we both know that’s a lie,” He wrapped his arms around my waist, “You’re the best gal around, we’ll just eat it tomorrow, okay?” 

I nodded against his torso. I tended to be extremely tactile when either drunk or tired, which James knew. He was much the same and it was one of the reasons our friendship was as strong as it was. He never judged me and vice versa. 

We hugged a few moments more, before James tapped me on the hip. “C’mon. We should get to bed. You’ve got a big day tomorrow and I know how cranky you get when you don’t sleep.” 

Nodding again, I squeezed him one last time before letting go. Leaning around him and putting the cheesecake in the fridge. We padded down the hallway, me breaking off to the left where my room was, while he carried on going straight. I was going to regret not washing my face and brushing my teeth when I woke up, but right now I was too tired to care. Flopping into bed face first, I was asleep before my head hit the pillow. 

The morning came, as they often do, and I got up to face the day. My mouth tasted like warm ass and I could do with a shower. It’d been a hot minute since I’d had to wake up this early. 

Morning ablutions done, I downed a cup of coffee and a bowl of porridge before heading to my room to get dressed. 

Remembering what Stevie and Danny said about not being to formal, I opted for a dark emerald green flared trouser and short sleeved crop top co-ord which I’d pair with my white air forces. I undid my braid from last night and applied some leave-in conditioner. After running my fingers loosely through my hair to distribute the product, I pulled it up into a high ponytail, making sure to smooth out any bumps. I took a spray bottle from my dresser and spritzed some water onto my ponytail to revitalise some of the curls. Baby hairs tamed with some edge control; my hair was done. 

Facing the mirror, I used an eyebrow pencil to fill in my eyebrows before setting them with gel. Then I added bronze liquid eye shadow, the gold flecks in it making my eyes pop. Dark brown liner, mascara and layer of Fenty gloss and I was good to go. 

Getting the address from the interview invitation, I ordered the uber. It was 8:15 now so I had 45 minutes to make it, plenty of time. James had already left while I was taking a shower so it was no surprise when I walked into an empty kitchen. The uber was due in less than five minutes so I quickly placed a bottle of water, store bought pasta salad and a packet of crisps in my “Women are Wealth” tote bag. Slipping my feet in the trainers, I checked I had everything before heading downstairs to meet the car. 

I lost myself in my thoughts on the drive over. There was something about being a passenger in a vehicle that lulled me into an almost meditative state. Thankfully, my uber driver wasn’t one of the chatty ones, so I was able to drift undisturbed. 

I was shaken from my stupor by the car abruptly coming to a halt. Seems we’d arrived. Saying a quick thanks, I hopped out of the car and headed up to the building only to stop dead. I spun around in a complete circle before looking up again at the building in front of me. This wasn’t the same place I was at yesterday...? 

Pulling my phone out of my bag I checked the time before calling Stevie. 

“Hey, Ste-” 

“Please don’t tell me you're cancelling on me.” Stevie cut in; voice tight. 

“What? No, no. My uber took me to the wrong address. Can you text me the correct one? I must’ve copied it down wrong.” 

“Oh yeah sure, of course!” Her tone was much cheerier now she didn’t think I was flaking. “Here you go, I just pinged you my location.” 

My phone buzzed against my ear. “Yep just got it.” I put her on speaker as I pulled up the uber app. “Okay, it looks like I'm not far, drive time is 7 minutes and there's a car about 5 mins away, all being well, I should see you in fifteen.” 

“Sweet. Well I've got to get going, text me when you get here and we’ll get you set up.” 

“Cool will do.” I hung up the phone. I sighed. Of course, _of course,_ something like this would happen. Sods law at its finest. I text James what happened and replied to Kayli’s message, promising her I’d ring her tonight. 

Looking up, I heard the crunch of gravel as my uber pulled up, thankfully it was a different guy from this morning. Unfortunately, he wasn’t as taciturn as his predecessor and I had to endure making mindless chit-chat until we reached my destination. 

Arriving at the _correct_ building this time I, once again, sprinted through the doors. “Danny my man!” I cheered, spotting him sitting behind the receptionist desk. 

“Hey yourself! Are you going to make a habit of running in here? Cause we’re not zoned for that and I'd hate to make you sign a waiver” He winked at me. 

“Oh har-har.” I quickly sent Stevie a text to let her know I was here. “So, what exactly is going on?” I asked him, “Stevie was pretty vague on the phone.” 

“Oh just the usual shenanigans. Somehow we lost almost a months' worth of footage so we’re having to re-shoot it all. Its been hell, so be careful cause the bosses are on the rampage. I almost pity whoever’s fault it was when they get hold of them.” 

“Damn.” I bit my lip, no wonder Stevie sounded stressed on the phone. As if hearing her name in my thoughts, she rounded the corner. 

“Great, you’re here. Follow me. I’d give you the official tour but we’re short on time.” 

I tried to take in more of the space as we made our way to her office but she was moving so fast I either had to pay attention or get left behind. 

Right, you can put your things over there, she gestured to a coat rack in the corner and I hurried over to do just that. 

“Since this was such short notice, we haven’t worked out where to put you yet so you’ll be sharing my office for the time being. Here’s the spare key.” She passed it over to me. “All the private offices have keys but all the other doors are accessed by codes. There’s a lot of them so please pick a code you can remember as I don’t want to do this more than once.” She looked at me to make sure I was following. 

I gave her a quick thumbs up and a smile. “Yep, gotcha.” 

“We’ll sort out all the boring payroll stuff when it's quieted down. For now, here’s an iPad. This is yours to use for work things only, not watching Netflix or anything like that. You’ll need to set up a password and everything. Talk to one of the guys later and they’ll get you linked to the portal and all the work group chats. We’ll also get you set up with a laptop and work email but that’ll have to come later.” 

I put the office key in my bra, since my outfit didn’t have pockets and hugged the iPad to my chest. I was starting to feel a little overwhelmed, but did my best not to let it show. I knew this would be a fast-paced environment but there's a difference between knowing and experiencing. I didn’t let it bother me too much though. I was a pretty quick learner and I’d get the hang of everything soon enough. 

Stevie took me around the building getting my code added to all the doors. She wasn’t kidding about how many there were, but she needn’t worry. After inputting the same four-digit code over 20 times, there was no way I'd forget it. 

We didn’t go to the set since they were filming, but I was curious to see what kind of show they made. I'd spent most of my research time on Sunday brushing up on all the software and programs I'd end up using as well as possible interview questions/answers, since it'd been a while since I'd done anything in media. Plus I figured, as I was coming in for the assistant role, I'd probably be running around doing errands/back office tasks, far away from the "action". Hopefully, I'd get to see pretty soon anyway. 

Stevie left me in what she explained was the main break room while she went to go deal with something a guy called Josh had pulled her away for. I took the time to set up my iPad, I didn’t download any apps yet as I wasn’t sure if i should use my apple ID or a work one. 

“Oh hey, you’re the new girl right?” 

I looked up to see a well-muscled girl in a flat cap and a band tee in front of me. “Uh, yup that’s me!” I got up and stuck my hand out, “I’m Faye.” 

“Sweet.” She shook my hand, “I’m Jen. I’m in charge of social media here.” 

“That’s cool, I’m Stevie's new assistant.” 

“Dope accent, British?” She tilted her head. 

“Born and raised.” I chuckled, “God, I can never say that without immediately hearing the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme.” 

“Yup, thanks for that. I’m gonna be singing it all day now.” 

“You’re welcome.” I smiled cheekily at her, “Hey, since you’re the social media guru, can you help me set this thing up?” I waved my iPad. “Stevie said something about getting it linked up to the group chats and stuff.” 

“Sure, do you have a work email yet?” She took it from me. 

“Oh. No not yet.” I bit my lip. 

“No problem. Come find me when you do and I'll sort it. But, hey, give me your phone.” 

I pulled it out from where I’d wedged it in the waistband of my trousers. Looking at the screen to unlock it, I passed it over. 

“You’ve got WhatsApp, right? Oh, wait I see it. All the official work messages go through the portal but there's a few WhatsApp groups we have on the side.” She’d pulled out her phone as well and was tapping away at it. “There we go. I’ve added you to the three I have admin access to but you’ll have to get someone else to add you to the others. 

I looked at my phone as she handed it back to see I’d been added to “Boss Free”, “Mythical Ladies” and “Errbody”. I assumed Boss Free was just the Errbody chat without management, which makes sense. I guessed it was stuff that people didn’t want the bosses to know. Mythical Ladies made me chuckle. We had a female only chat and my old work so it was nice to see some things translated across borders. 

The mythical bit made me pause though. Danny had said something similar yesterday. Just as I was opening my mouth to ask Jen if it was an inside joke I was missing, an alarm sounded from her phone. 

“Shoot, I’ve gotta jet.” She told me. “It was nice to meet you, catch up later, yeah?” And then she was gone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At least we've met one of the crew now. I need to stop adding in so many details. There's a plot thread that I've been stringing along that was supposed to be resolved by now but the characters have a mind of their own. All will become clear next chapter I guess.


	8. VIII

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sink or swim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is. You smell that? A bonafide update. A fresh chapter for your perusal! Don't all thank me at once ;)

As I watched Jen walk away, cogs were beginning to turn in my mind. I felt like I was on the brink of something, some big realisation that was just out of my reach.

I just kept coming back to the word “Mythical”. It was possible that it’s just part of an inside joke that I’m just not familiar with yet, but that didn’t sit right with me. When Danny said goodbye to me yesterday, he’d said, “Have a Good Mythical Day!”. But the way he’d said it made it seem like it was something he was used to saying, like he’d said it a thousand times before.

So that theory was out. Which meant that it was a deliberate saying, both times the word had been mentioned to me, yesterday with Danny and just now with Jen, it seemed like something I should just know.

Sitting back down, I turned my head to look out of the window. From here I had a semi-decent view of the parking lot. Which got me thinking.

I was late to work this morning because I’d ordered the Uber to the wrong address. Except… I’d taken the address directly from the email with my interview invitation. I’d been looking straight at it as I typed the details into the app. Yet I’d ended up at the wrong building. I looked down at my feet. That shouldn’t have been possible…

...But..

...The day of my interview. I remember I’d been so worried about being late. I desperately tried to think back to that moment. When I input the address into the gps, did I-”

Stevie walked into the room. My eyes slowly rose to meet hers.

“Stevie.” My voice was practically a whisper. “What’s this studio called..?”

She stood there and took me in for a long minute. Finally she spoke, “You’re currently in Mythical Entertainment Studios where we film a show called Good Mythical Morning and it’s after show, Good Mythical More.”

I closed my eyes and fought the bile that was rising in my throat. My suspicions confirmed as a mental image of yesterday crystalised in my head. I was panicking, I was rushing, I was late, and I selected the wrong entry on the GPS.

“Fuck.” I croaked, “I’m not supposed to be here.” Memories of me running into this building yesterday superimposed themselves onto the memory of me running in here this morning; how both times I didn’t even pause to check if I was in the right place.

“What do you mean?” Stevie came and sat next to me.

“I came to the wrong building-”

“I told you it was fine, you’re here now-”

“No.” I cut off, meeting her gaze, “Yesterday.”

“What?”

“Yesterday.” I repeated, “I came to the wrong building, _yesterday…”_ I looked at her meaningfully.

She stared at me a second longer before leaning back in her chair and heaving a heavy sigh. We both sat in place for a moment. Her, with her head tilted to the ceiling, me with my head in my hands. 

“Well…” She started, “This explains a lot.”

I looked over at her. She hadn’t moved, head still tipped back.

“I mentioned to the guys how I didn’t think I even had any interviews for this week. None of the people I’d interviewed previously were a good fit. I just wanted a break, y’know?”

I hummed.

She raised her arms above her head and stretched out her spine before standing up and turning to face me.

“C’mon. I’ve still got to get your email set up and I’ll need your details for background checks etc.”

“Yeah, okay.” I stood up, “Wait, _what?!”_

“Look nothing’s changed. We still need the help, you’re still qualified. I still need an assistant, you still need a job. I stand by what I said in your interview, I really do think you’d be a good fit here.” She shrugged, “So get moving, we’ve got a lot to do today.”

  
  
  


I was in our shared office. Stevie had just left to get on with her own jobs. We’d spent at least half an hour gathering all my information that they’d need to conduct background checks and get me put into the system. Now that I had an email I was able to finish setting up my iPad.

I’d already downloaded the portal so it was just a matter of setting up my profile. Figuring I could choose my profile pic later since I had way too many on my phone to choose from, I set my username as ItsMeFae and wrote a short bio. I’d probably end up changing it at a later date but for now I kept it simple: “ _Producers Assistant, Songbird, She/Her”_

I spent a while just navigating around the app. Looked to be based off of a mish-mash of different social media sites. The homepage was a series of blog posts almost, mostly updates, meeting write ups and the like. There were also photo albums, (which I vowed to take the time to look through later) calendar functionality, message boards and of course the aforementioned instant messaging facility. All in all, it looked pretty straight forward and I looked forward to playing about with it a bit more.

That done, I looked at the piece of paper with the list of jobs Stevie had left me. I was to go to the storage shed and get a list of props for the next rounds of shooting. Reading the list of items my eyebrows climbed further and further up my head.

  * 2x mannequin heads
  * 6x women's jeans
  * Water balloons
  * As many red lipsticks as you can find
  * Prop toilet & plunger
  * Metal bathtub
  * 25 gallons of ranch dressing
  * Spider costume 
  * Electric fly swatter
  * Stun cane



It continued on down the page. _Just what had I gotten myself into?_ I mentally shrugged. It didn’t really matter, I was lucky to be here regardless and I wasn't about to look fate in the mouth - or whatever the saying was.

Heading out of the room I made sure to lock the door behind me, before placing the key back in its designated spot in my bra.

I made my way to where Stevie said the storage facility was. It might have taken seven wrong turns and four separate requests for directions but the point is that I made it.

Turns out there were actually three storage units. Two in house, one for clothes and the other for everything else, which was the one I’m in now. There’s also one about a 5 minute drive down the road which is apparently massive and where they keep all the stuff they’ve collected over the years. 

It was thanks to that confusion that it took me so long to get here, since I’d failed to specify which storage unit it was that I wanted. Alex, the guy who ended up having to walk me here, told me that it's not that uncommon. Usually, I’d be shadowing someone for a few days at least to get my bearings, so it’s not really my fault. 

He was really nice and we ended up getting into a friendly debate over Marvel vs DC while we walked. I said Marvel purely because of Iron Man (Dr Anthony Stark 5ever) but grudgingly admitted that DC had the better villains (Dr Harleen Quinzel 5ever). We exchanged numbers and he promised to introduce me to the crew later.

All that led me to where I am now, trying to figure out how I’m supposed to lug around a giant metal bathtub filled with enough odds and ends to create my own Doctor Who villain. After much deliberation, (and grunting and sweating and swearing) I conceded the fact this was too much to move on my own and, unless I wanted to make 75 trips it was best to enlist some help.

Rolling my eyes, I realised I’d left my phone and the iPad in the office - the curse of no pockets ™. I decided to head out into the hall to see if I could flag down a helping hand. I took a step through the doorway and had to flatten myself against the door jamb to avoid being run over. In the split second it took me to restart my heart, the guy, whoever it was was already at the other end and all I could make out was the dark hair on the back of his head.

Blowing out a breath, I peeled myself off of the wall and went to go find aid. I didn’t have to go far however, as I rounded a corner I was greeted by someone running toward me. I was about to move out of the way but was taken by surprise for the second time in less than two minutes when, instead of rushing past me, he grabbed my arm and began dragging me back the way he came.

“Wha-” I began, but was quickly cut off.

“Girl in green, right?” He turned to look at me. “I’m Chase. Stevie asked me to find you, you weren’t answering your phone.”

“I-”

“Doesn’t matter. When Stevie rings, you answer, got it?” He slowed us down and raised an eyebrow at me.

I opted not to speak and just nodded furiously.

“Cool.” he picked up the pace again, “Stevie’s normally pretty chill but you definitely don’t want to upset her right now. It’s bad enough we’ve got all this going on but Link just flipped his shit and ran off so now we’re going to be even _more_ behind and- Oh shit, sorry. I didn’t mean to start ranting. Although you’ll probably see most of it in the chats later.” He chuckled, “Hope you’re not too sensitive! Just kidding, we all love each other really.”

And with that slightly unsettling statement, it seemed we’d arrived. Taking a look around as Chase went to go talk to someone nearby, I couldn't help but marvel. We were in the area the movies call “video village”. It was my first time being around a set up like this and, for a YouTube show, it was remarkably high end. There were of course wires trailing everywhere and the occasional crumpled ball of paper and stray coffee cups. Still, I was _very_ impressed. In fact, I was almost tempted to hold my breath, lest I break anything.

Shaking off the feeling, I made my way over to where Stevie sat in front of a veritable wall of screens, surrounded by three people I’d never met. As I approached she sent two of them away.

“Oh good you’re here.” Stevie turned to me. She paused, “I feel like I’ve been saying that a lot lately.” She shook her head. “Anyway, I want you, Chase, Davin to sit down and hammer out a set schedule for the next, lets say, ten episodes of the shows. I want it as tight as possible, reuse sets, props, whatever. Get it done, I want as tight a turn around as possible. When you’re finished get Yas up to speed. Davin, it might also be wise to check in with the writers and see if they’ve got anything up their sleeves. Don’t rely on them too much, I don’t want to waste time having the boys and everyone familiarise themselves with a new script, but if it’s one that we can push through quickly, add it to the list.”

She tapped her chin, “Faye where are you on the list of things I gave you to do?”

I jolted out of my awestruck (and somewhat fearful) state. “Uh, I rounded up all the props apart from the edibles. They’re in a bathtub in the storage unit though, I was just trying to figure out a way to move it all when Chase nabbed me.” I picked at my sleeve, suddenly nervous.

“Don’t worry about that.” She waved a hand in the air, “I’ll send one of the boys to pick it up.” A dark look overtook her features, “Speaking of which,” she started, “I’ve got some bones to pick.” And with that she was up off her chair and out the door.

We stood in an awkward silence for a moment before Chase clapped his hands together, making me and Davin jump. 

“Well,” He stated, “we should probably find somewhere to set up camp.” He smirked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was the chapter I was perhaps second most excited about writing. And it all got swept away bc I'm too cheap for Microsoft office lmao. I'm not particularly happy with the ending (what else is new) but at least I'm back? 
> 
> Also this officially marks the end of my somewhat pre-planned ideas, so.... what happens next is anyone's guess.
> 
> I'm only going to be committing to weekly updates, as opposed to bi-weekly. It's entirely possible I'll upload more than that, but weekly at minimum.
> 
> Stay safe out there, treasure what you have before its gone.  
> ~TCS


	9. IX

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jen and Faye v Chase!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a couple things:  
> 1) I'm late  
> 2) This chapter is shorter than usual.  
> 3) Enjoy!

The time spent planning flew by quickly and before I knew it, it was lunchtime. I didn’t end up contributing much, my unfamiliarity with the show and its premise working against me. Mostly, Chase and Davin would present plans and arrangements, then I’d input my two cents. It felt a lot like being a judge on a reality show, or a mother of two children; after they came up with their ideas for a schedule they’d both turn to me with expectant eyes. Scratch that, it was more like I was King Solomon, and I had to decide who got to keep the idea baby. 

Rousing myself out of my reverie, I realised Davin had already left and Chase was stood at the other side of the table, staring at me.

“Sorry man, did you say something?” I looked up at him.

“It’s okay, you looked deep in thought. I was just asking what you’re planning to do for lunch? I can never decide what to eat.” He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Oh, yeah I brought lunch from home…. _Shit!”_ I facepalmed.

“What?”

“I forgot to ask Stevie if there’s a fridge I could store it in, it’s most likely ruined by now.” I moaned. 

“Damn. Well if you want, I can spot you lunch for today?”

“No dude I can’t let you do that!”

“Listen, we dragged you from your home into the middle of this madhouse, the least we can do is buy you lunch.” He held out his hand, “C’mon, lets go. Plus, I have to make up for dragging you about the place earlier, that wasn’t very polite _or_ friendly of me.” He smiled.

I took his hand and let him help me up, before letting go. Once standing, I couldn’t help but stare at him for a moment.

“What?” He questioned, shuffling nervously.

“Nothing, it's just that everyone’s so nice here. I’m not used to it. Like, for real, how are you this freaking nice?”

“Ha ha, I’m gonna remember you said that,” he winked as he started leading me down the halls, “in all honesty, I don’t know. It’s just kinda how things are here.” He shrugged, “Like, you know all those cheesy sayings about workplace family or team as a family? Well, we take that pretty seriously here. That and Stevie vouched for you. She has an eye for these things, I should know, she’s the one who hired me.” He nudged me with his elbow.

I laughed along with him as we made our way to the break room. Inside, I was quick to spot Jen, playing around on her tablet. 

She looked up as we entered. “Oh, hey fresh meat! Or should I say, Fresh Prince?” She smirked.

“Har, har, har.” I flopped down on the couch next to her, Chase settling into a chair opposite. “That’s Fresh Princess to you!”

“Ooh,” she held her hands up in faux surrender, “pardon me your royal highness.”

“You are pardoned.” I sniffed pompously and turned my nose up in the air. We both made it about 5 seconds before bursting out in laughter.

Once we got our breath back, she turned to Chase, “So are y’all on break too then?”

“Yeah,” he answered, “just trying to decide what we wanna eat. You wanna join us?”

“Could do,” shrugging she continued, “I was just about to order some Taco Bell.”

“Omg I could live on Taco Bell!”, “Yeah I could go for a crunchwrap.” Chase and I responded at the same time. 

“Guess that’s settled then! Here,” she handed me her phone, already open on the postmates app, “add what you want.”

“Cool.” I put my order in and passed the phone to Chase.

* * *

We played several rounds of Uno while we waited for the food to arrive. I realised what Chase meant earlier, beneath that smiling exterior was a ruthless man who’d stoop so low as to cheat at Uno. Right this moment I was sat glaring at him with two fistfuls of cards, while he looked like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth, only holding three. I don’t know how he did it, but I was sure he had played more draw 4’s than what was physically in the deck, 

I wasn’t the only one frustrated. Jen looked like she was ready to murder him and was already planning where to dispose of the body. It’d gotten so bad that we’d openly teamed up in an effort to take him down.

By the time Jen had gotten the alert on her phone that the food was here, I’d taken to muttering every swear word I knew under my breath. Chase wasn’t even pretending not to enjoy the pain and destruction he caused and had almost fallen off his seat laughing on no less than five different occasions.

We sent Chase to go get the food, since he was being a nuisance. As soon as he was out of earshot, Jen turned to me excitedly. “We exchanged numbers earlier, right?” I nodded, “good, okay,” She grabbed hold of my shoulders, “I say we need to get him back for this whole thing. You in?” She raised an eyebrow, I let the evil grin slowly spreading across my face speak for me. “Good, I’ll text you later to discuss details.” We fist bumped to seal the deal.

When he came back, we put the Uno debacle aside and just focused on our meal. Honestly, it was one of the best meals I’d had in a while. Not because of the food, it was mostly lukewarm and the chips were soggy. There’s something to be said about sharing a meal with friends, people you enjoy and care about. It’d only been just over half a day, but something in me knew I'd created a bond with these people. 

I never thought I’d say this, but I’m glad that my first interview was a shit show. If I hadn’t been so on edge and rushing; I wouldn't have selected the wrong address and ended up somewhere completely different. Maybe there’s an alternate version of me somewhere that's eating a properly refrigerated salad in some other kitchen. Maybe I wouldn’t have even got that job. At the end of the day I considered myself lucky, and though I knew it wouldn’t be smooth sailing, there's no place I’d rather be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look, I have no idea where that tooth rotting sap came from. My life is in shambles right now, if anything I should be writing angst. Guess that's therapy for you?
> 
> I've got a week off work so next chap should be up fairly soon.  
> Stay safe, wear a mask,  
> ~TCS


	10. X.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link POV 2. Be warned, this is where we dip into some of that angst.

I scrubbed my hands over my face and sighed. It’d been one hell of a week. Between all the re-shoots and my worries with Christy, plus all the normal day to day things like taking the car to get serviced and vet check-ups. Well, it just seemed like I was never going to catch a break. I thought things were bad enough on Tuesday. For some reason that day, everyone and everything was making me angry. I’d lost my patience half-way through the day; the hot stage lights, people having full conversations behind the camera while we were trying to record, Rhett cracking jokes like he was the funniest man alive despite me knowing full well that he was just as tired as I was. It just became too much and I had to leave.

Rhett, despite my apologies and best efforts to convince him Tuesday was an anomaly, had seen how much I was struggling and suggested I leave early today. Normally, I wouldn’t take him up on it but I could feel my nerves starting to fray. Everyone was planning to take the new girl out for drinks, sort of a “congrats on your first week” sort of thing. Really it was just an excuse for everyone to blow off some steam and get drunk.

It’d been around four when I’d left. They were still ironing out the details but, last I heard, they were planning on going to a karaoke bar. Regardless, Rhett had promised to text me the address of wherever they ended up.

I’d meant to be productive once I got home. Instead, I’d spent the past hour laying on my bed, staring at the ceiling. Christy was at book club and the kids plus Jade were at my mom’s for the weekend. I had the house entirely to myself, which was a new concept to me. I groaned as I shifted slightly. I’d only removed my shoes when I got in and my jeans were starting to get uncomfortable. Still, I didn’t get up.

Maybe I needed a hobby. Christy had started going to her book club a few weeks ago and it seemed to be doing her good. Rhett had his paddle boarding, the kids had their games. Maybe it was time I got something of my own, snap me out of my funk.

I rolled over on my back and my eyes caught on a framed picture of Christy and I on our wedding day. Reaching over, I picked it up and brought it closer to me. God we were so happy. And so young too. I traced her face with my finger. She still looked the same, gorgeous smile and blonde hair flying. I’d never felt so lucky, so carefree. If I was honest with myself, I couldn’t remember the last time either of us smiled like that.

I couldn’t help but wonder if we made a mistake getting married so young. It was the norm at the time, fresh out of college, young twenty-something’s with the whole world at their disposal. I don’t regret marrying _her._ But a small part of me thought it might’ve been better if we’d waited. Figured out who we were on our own first. I’d spent all of my formative years as part of a pair, a couple. If I wasn’t Rhett&Link, I was Link&Christy. I loved both of them dearly, in different ways of course, but they were both so deeply entrenched in my psyche, my very being, I didn’t know who I was without them.

This wasn’t a new feeling, a new thought. But it was the first time that I’d acknowledged it, let it grow legs. I guess something about being alone meant there was nowhere left to run.

Before I could spiral any further, my phone went off, so I put the picture back on the bedside table and checked it to find a text from Rhett.

 **R 17** **:** **05** Hey man. We’re going to some place called Frankie’s. Apparently new girl knows the owner. Everyone’s getting ready to go now, want me to come pick you up?

 **L 17** **:** **05** Nah it’s cool, I’m gonna jump in the shower, meet you there?

 **R 17:06** Sure thing. Last one there buys the beers!

Not bothering to respond, I pulled myself up and headed to the bathroom. Ten minutes later I came out, feeling much better. It’s amazing what a hot shower can do for the soul. I wasn’t too fussed about my appearance knowing we were just going to a bar. Besides, everyone there had seen me in much worse than a pair of ripped jeans and a t-shirt.

I’d sat down on the end of my bed to pull my socks on when I noticed a bit of fabric sticking out of the bottom of the closet door. Curiosity piqued, I padded over and opened the door. Lying on the floor, half hanging out was a tie. Nothing strange about that, except. Well I always kept my ties in my dresser. I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d worn one, maybe the Streamies? But even then I don’t remember having one in this pattern.

Mentally shrugging, I threw it on the bed to put away later and headed out the door.

* * *

Parking was atrocious in LA, especially on a Friday night. Although, it wasn’t technically night yet, that didn’t stop Angelino’s from taking up all the good spots. After driving in circles for 10 minutes I finally found a spot relatively close to the bar. Easily catching sight of Rhett inside, the advantages of having a 6’7 friend, I made my way over to him.

“Hey man, over here!” Rhett waved, which was ridiculous by this point, as I was only 3 feet away from him.

“Yeah dude you don’t have to shout, I can see you. You’re like Bigfoot up in this joint.”

“Bigfoot.” He smiled down at me, “Bigfoot? Really, that’s the best you can do?”

“Shut up man.” I elbowed him in the arm, “Just tell me what you want to drink.”

“Alright, alright.” He surrendered, “I’ll just drink whatever they got on tap.”

While we waited for the bartender to pour our drinks, I turned so the right side of my body was leaning up against the bar. “So where is everybody?”

“Davin’s got a date with his girl, Chase went to the bathroom and Alex, Mike & Josh are at a table somewhere trying to decide on something to eat. The girls went home to change first so, who knows how long they’ll be.” He paused, “Thanks, man.” Rhett tipped his drink to the bartender.

I took a sip from mine as I looked around to see if I could spot the others. “So it’s just us guys then?”

“Looks that way.”

“Cool, where’d you say their table is?”

“I dunno, lets go find them.”

* * *

Spotting them in a booth nearby, I slid in next to Josh while Rhett took the seat opposite me next to Alex. Tuning into their conversation, I realised they were arguing over which is the best bar snack. Josh was campaigning vehemently for peanuts while Mike was almost climbing the table in his defence of fries. Alex kept trying to interject with his opinion on pretzels, but gave up when it was clear he wasn’t going to be heard.

Sharing an amused glance with Rhett, he raised an eyebrow at me. I knew this was his way of saying, _you wanna join in?_ But I simply shook my head no, perfectly happy to spectate. He shrugged and then loudly proclaimed that “Everyone _knows_ that buffalo wings are in fact _the_ number one bar snack in all of America’s 50 states.” Thumping the table for emphasis.

After that it was a free for all. Chase came back and was somehow roped into the debate. Alex and I sat back and enjoyed the mayhem, even going so far as to order another round as well as a basket of fries for the table, just to see their reaction. At this point, Rhett and Chase had teamed up against Josh and Mike, Peanuts and Pretzels vs Buffalo Wings. We were disappointed when the food arrived and they just kept going, not even noticing that they had started waving fries around and eating between sentences.

Chase paused mid-rant, relaying that Stevie had just texted, and that the girls were less than five minutes away, before jumping right back in. I realised that I hadn’t even met Stevie’s assistant, but figured now was as good a time as any. I tuned back into the conversation, which had somehow morphed into whether buffalo wings even have the right to be called wings, only to be distracted by my phone buzzing in my left pocket. Seeing it was my wife calling, I signalled to the guys that I was going to outside to take the call.

“Hey-”

“Where are you?” She jumped in. Immediately, I straightened. Something in her voice wasn’t right.

“I’m at a bar with Rhett and some guys from work.” I was startled when she burst out crying. Not even bothering to alert the others I felt in my pockets for my car keys, I needed to get home, _now._ I knew my mother would’ve rang if it were to do with the kids, which was the _only_ thing keeping me from a full-scale panic.

“Why are you crying?” Accidentally letting my frustration with the key not fitting in the ignition leak into my voice. I winced. Ouch, Neal. Probably _not_ the best thing to say to a crying woman, which was proven correct when her sobs increased. “Look, I’m on the way back now, I’ll be there in 20 minutes and then we can talk, alright?”

“Yea-Yeah. Okay.” She sniffled, “I’ll see you soon?” Christy paused a moment, “I love you.” she whispered softly, before hanging up.

Driving as fast as I dared, I made it to our house in a record 15 minutes. Rushing up the driveway I slammed the front door shut and ran to our bedroom, coming up short when I reached the doorway. My insides ran cold. Christy was curled up on my side of our bed crying with the tie I’d picked up earlier, scrunched up in her fist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Felt evil leaving it there but I couldn't resist ;)
> 
> Next update will be next week sometime.
> 
> Stay safe wear a mask,
> 
> ~TCS


	11. XI.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haven't thought of an adequate summary...

Monday morning brought with it sunshine and pain. I rolled over and looked at my alarm clock. Only 6 minutes before it went off. Fuck.

Rolling back over I couldn’t help but smile as I remembered Friday night. We’d only ended up staying at Dave’s bar (named Frankie’s after his dad) for around an hour before heading to a club. Rhett and Link had apparently had some kind of emergency and had had to go home. It was a little odd that I still hadn’t gotten to meet them yet but Chase quickly distracted me by dragging me into an argument over Buffalo’s? I’m still not sure what was going on.

We moved to a club down the block where, somehow, Stevie talked us into doing ski shots. We’d done a few rounds of them if I remember correctly. By the fourth, I’m pretty sure we were all drenched in alcohol which is when Josh suggested we switch to fishbowls.

I don’t remember much after that, and what little I do was in flashes; Alex striking out with a hot bartender, Jen arm wrestling everyone (and winning), dancing with Stevie, dancing with Josh, giggling a lot. At some point, most of the rest of the crew showed up. Unfortunately, I was well past intoxicated so I don’t really remember meeting them. Although I’m sure I made a mess of myself, I’m still glad I went, it’d been a while since I let loose with a bunch of friends.

I’d paid the price for it the next day though. I’d gotten home around 6 am, after sharing an Uber home and terrorising the poor man into taking us through a drive-through. I’d woken up around 12, panicked because I thought I’d gone blind (James had to come in and tell me no, I wasn’t blind, my eyelashes had just glued themselves together.) Went back to sleep, woke up around 3 in the afternoon head pounding and absolutely famished and ordered 3 happy meals – sue me, it’s cheaper than buying it all separately.

Only I threw it all up and triggered a migraine in the process. James made me some toast and gave me my pills and a glass of water. I then spent the weekend burritoed up in my duvet, drugged up and shuffling between sleeping in my bed or on the couch with James running his hands through my hair. Which brings me to today, now 1 minute till my alarm goes off.

I buried my face in my pillow, determined to make the most of the last 60 seconds I had left. It wasn’t enough however and sooner rather than later I found myself having to get up and face the day. After exiting the bathroom, I felt a little more human but still sore and drained. I put the kettle on the stove to boil and went back into my room to get ready.

Not feeling like dressing up, I opted for a yellow over-sized hoodie, black leggings and my black doc’s. Hair was just two braided pigtails with some face framing pieces and make-up was kept minimal with just brow pencil, lip gloss and mascara.

The kettle started screaming so I walked over to the kitchen and made a mug of lemon green tea. I needed the extra warmth to help wake me up. It was coming up to the tail end of September and I was starting to be able to feel it in the mornings. I popped my mug on the table and went to make myself a bowl of cereal. My go to at the moment was chocolate chip wheatabix – I could pretend to be an adult while still getting my chocolate fix.

I stared into space while I ate. Not thinking about anything in particular, it was just nice to have some time to myself. There’s something different about the still of the morning; the peace it brings unlike any other.

All good things must come to an end though and soon my alarm went off again, this time telling me I had 10 minutes till I needed to leave. I ordered an uber, put my dishes away and packed my bag. Pausing at the door, I decided to steal James’ black NY beanie for extra comfort, grabbing it off the rack by the door, I made my way down to the car.

* * *

I arrived at the studio and greeted Danny. I’d told him about the interview mix up and now he liked to tease me by asking if I was in the right building every morning. We chatted for a while, he’d started seeing a new guy and was very excited. When he showed me a picture of him, I couldn’t help but be excited too. Muscle men aren’t really my type but I could still appreciate.

I bid him farewell and headed to the conference room. Every Monday they liked to have a meeting giving updates, plans for the week and any news. I’d been looking forward to it last week, I’d met most of the crew but there were still some I hadn’t and those that I didn’t know well. Now I was mostly focused on getting through the day. Although I’d spent most of the weekend sleeping, I was still exhausted.

Deciding to head in early, though the meeting wasn’t due to start for another 10 minutes, I opened the door but froze when I heard voices. At first I was distracted by the deep baritones, but then I honed in on what they were saying.

_“Look, just butt out alright? It’s none of your business.”_

_“I’m just trying to look out for you brother, you don’t have to go through this alone.”_

_“And what would you know about it anyway? Oh right, nothing that’s what.”_

_“Link-”_

_“I didn’t ask for your help, or your pity so just save it.”_

I was startled by the violent screech of a chair being scraped against the floor. I really shouldn’t be listening to this, I thought, but yet I crept closer.

“ _Its not pity, Link. I just want to-”_

_“Want to what? What are you gonna do, Rhett? Invent a time machine?”_

_“You know that’s not what I meant.”_

_“Well, what did you mean? Pray tell, how is the Almighty Rhett going to fix this?”_

Silence.

_“Look,” a deep sigh, “Maybe you should just go home, take some time off.”_

_“And do what? This is my company too Rhett. I have a place at this table just as much as you, besides, we’re already 3 weeks behind.”_

_“Okay, I’m going to forget this conversation ever happened because you’re hurting. But, for the record, I don’t appreciate you putting words in my mouth.”_

It seemed to be over after that and my mind was left reeling. I hadn’t met either Rhett or Link yet, but hearing how he spoke to Rhett immediately putt me off him. First, he ran out in the middle of the day last week and now this? Unless Rhett fucked his wife or something there’s no need to be so rude. I don’t know how he stayed so calm, if someone, heck, _anyone_ tried talking to me like that..? It’d be game over.

I’d heard tales about their friendship from some of the others, “Lifelong Best Friends and Partners” or “Bothers from Another Mother” is how I’d most often heard them described. I guess that grants some leeway but it still rubbed me the wrong way. Seeing the others coming towards me, I manoeuvred myself into the middle of the pack, not wanting to be the first to enter the room.

Keeping, my head down I chose a seat somewhere in the middle of the oval table and waited for the meeting to start.

I’ll admit I wasn’t paying attention, my head still tender from the weekend and latent guilt from eavesdropping a private conversation coursing through me. So it was no surprise that I jolted when when I was suddenly elbowed sharply in the ribs.

“Fuck, what?” I bit out. Realising where I was I slammed my hand over my mouth, eyes closed as the shame washed over me. But it was too late and the table was full of ill-disguised snickers.

“Now that we have your attention, I was asking if you minded formally introducing yourself and telling us how you found your first week. I know you’ve met some but not all of us and better late than never, right?”

“Uh sure,” I opened my eyes, unsure if I was supposed to stand up, but doing it anyway, though I kept my eyes down. Thinking fast I came up with, “I’m Faye, I’m 25 and I like pina coladas and getting caught in the rain.” smirking, I found the courage to look up and around the room. “Aside from all the technical mishaps and Chase cheating at Uno-”

“-I don’t cheat!”

“Its been a fun one and I can safely say, I’m intrigued by what craziness will come next.” Chuckling I sat back down, pulling the sleeves of my hoodie over my hands as I did so. Forcing myself to pay attention this time, I turned my gaze to the front of the room, accidentally locking eyes with the speaker.

Ripping my eyes away, I focused on the table in front of me. Then I checked again, but no. At this point, I was certain someone was mocking me. Why else would this guy be here? It was one of the guys from the bar, and the cafe, the one I secretly thought could’ve been a lumberjack.

My mind working overtime, I began to feel eyes on me. A cold sense of horror dawned as I once again faced towards the front. Because, yep. There he was.

Tall, dark hair, dazzling blue eyes and a wearing a wedding ring.

Lean, clean shaven, handsome as ever and wearing a wedding ring.

Slouching back in his chair, hand behind his head, staring directly at me and wearing a wedding ring.

Head tilted, brow furrowed, _my_ _ **boss**_ and wearing a wedding ring.

“Link!”

Head turning, getting up, nice tight ass and wearing a wedding ring.

Wait, _Link???_

Flight risk, asshole, still hot and, _ **oh.**_

_N O T W E A R I N G A W E D D I N G R I N G._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here you have it folks. The first official meeting. Only took us 11 chapters to get there ;) Let me know your thoughts. (You'll hate me, but i had actually intended on dragging it out further but there was no feasible way, logistically speaking that it would have worked.)
> 
> I had 2 different scenarios in mind for their first meeting as coworkers and this one won out. Still didn't stop me having to re-write the chapter four times *sigh* 
> 
> If anyone has any interest of reading the other first meeting I may release it as a separate one-shot but no promises cause I may end up reworking it into the plot somehow.
> 
> Hope that did it justice. Next update will be next week sometime.
> 
> Stay safe, wear a mask and ffs VOTE.  
> ~TCS


	12. XII.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conversation is had

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boy. I rewrote this so many times that I am actually sick of looking at it. Praying that doesn't become a theme -.- Any glaring errors let me know!

I could feel his gaze searing into me, but I deliberately aimed my concentration at the screen projected onto the wall at the front of the room. Not to say that I took any of the information in, but it was a safe spot to focus.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Link return to his seat as Stevie stepped up. Unlike before, he didn’t regain his slouched position, instead crossing his legs, leaning forward and adjusting his glasses. Unbidden, all I could think of was that line from little red riding hood, _“All the better to see you with, my dear.”._

Although I knew I shouldn’t, _he’s my boss and he’s married,_ ~~ _is he?_~~ _a complete stranger and older than me,_ I couldn’t help but turn to meet his eyes head on. Partly it was because of pride, I worked here too and I wasn’t about to sneak around corners trying to avoid him. But mostly it was because I wanted to. And, oh boy was it a mistake.

If I thought those eyes were intense before? Well it was all I could do to contain my gasp. My face flushed, and I was immensely grateful for my dark colouring. I drank in the details of his face greedily. Surprisingly long lashes framed those azure eyes, a hint of stubble surrounding soft, pink lips.

I don’t know how long we were locked into this absurd stare-down, could’ve been minutes, hours, months, years. He raised an eyebrow at me in a _what are the chances you’d end up here_ kind of gesture. I shrugged my right shoulder with a quirk of my lips. Sort of a; _beats me guv._ He responded with a slow smirk and my stomach clenched. Goddamn, this man was dangerous. Pointedly, both to remind myself as well as him, I let my eyes travel down and pause on his left hand where it was resting on the table, before raising them to meet his.

Link’s reaction was immediate. His entire face seemed to shut down and his eyes went dark. I felt bad, clearly whatever happened there wasn’t good, but I couldn’t let myself get caught up in his orbit. Flashing him a small smile in apology, I turned back to the front of the room. This time I wouldn’t allow myself to be distracted.

* * *

Midday found me in the smaller of the break rooms, furiously washing dishes. It’d been a relatively calm day – at least compared to last week. It helped that we had a solid structure planned out and I was a little more familiar with how things worked. I’d spent the morning shadowing Stevie which was eye-opening. She had such control over herself and everything around her, _god I wanted to be her when I grew up._ Alongside that, I’d also been messaging Jen trying to come up with ideas to get back at Chase.

She’d been all for unscrewing the bolts of his office chair but I’d talked her into something more subtle. Slow burn sabotage was my wheelhouse and together, with a few other volunteers, we’d set a plan in motion. It was simple really. We were going to steal all his pens. Sounds stupid, Jen had said, which _point._ Sure, I told her, but think about it. He’s writing something puts his pen down, turns away, comes back and it’s gone. But it’s not once, twice or even five times. Every single time he puts a pen or a pencil down, we’re going to take it. By the end of the week he’ll be crawling the walls crazy and the best part is, if we do it right? He won’t even realise its us. After that she was fully on board.

Planning Chase’s revenge had cheered me up but between the stress of this morning and the weekend and the screens in the editing bay, my head was still pounding and I wasn’t particularly in the mood to be around people. Hence, my being in the small kitchenette. It’s less popular because it’s smaller and only has a microwave and no coffee machine, which made it perfect for me.

Unfortunately, it also made it perfect for Josh and Nicole, as they’d dumped all the mess from this morning’s “Will It” segment in the sink and along the small swathe of counter-top.

Which brings me to now, elbow deep in the remains of things I’d rather not identify (even though I’d read the brief and therefore knew exactly what everything was), muttering angrily at stubborn stains in between humming bars of Arsonists Lullabye. I was halfway through, when a pair of forearms entered my vision, reaching up to grab a tea towel and calmly beginning to dry the dishes I’d sat on the rack to my left. Without even looking up I knew who it was – anyone else would’ve announced themselves first.

We continued to wash and dry in silence for a few minutes. I hesitate to say it was nice but the truth was I didn’t hate it. Eventually one of us had to break the quiet though and so I was only mildly startled when he spoke.

“You’re the first one to notice, y’know.”

I just hummed, wanting to see where he was going with this.

“I’ve worked with these guy for years, I consider them family… yet no one else noticed.”

I handed him the next plate to dry, still not speaking.

He took it but didn’t move, prompting me to look up at him.

“ _Why?”_ He whispered softly. He wasn’t wearing his glasses and, somehow, it wasn’t until this moment that I realised how closely we were standing. He was over a head taller than me - the top of my head came up to just below his shoulder, forcing him to lean down slightly. His arm brushed mine where we were both holding onto the plate, my face was tilted up to look at him and all I could think was how deep the sadness in his eyes ran.

“The day at the cafe, you were wearing your ring then. It caught in the sun.” I shrugged, looking down at the floor, “now you’re not.”

This time it was his turn to hum.

He turned to look out of the small window in front of us. “Yeah,” he chuckled, flexing his left hand, “now I’m not.”

We continued washing up in silence. Despite the emotionally charged conversation, it was still surprisingly peaceful.

As I handed him the last bowl, I ran my mind over the talk that I’d overheard, debating on whether I should say something, even though it 1000% wasn’t my place. He finished drying the dish and, by some invisible signal, we both turned to each other. He passed me the tea towel he’d been using and I dried my hands, taking the time to come to a decision.

“How long have you and Rhett been friends?” I asked him.

He rested his hip on the counter and raised an eyebrow. “Since I was around 6, why?”

I mirrored his position, the counter digging into my ribs slightly. “Look whatever happened with that ring, he’s still there, yeah?” I gave him a rueful smile, “It doesn’t make everything magically okay, I get that. I’m just saying, you’ve lost one partner,” he winced, eyes hardening and jaw clenched. Still, I continued, “don’t push away the other.”

I looked off to the side to let him have a moment to absorb what I’d said. Maybe it wasn’t my place, but it was exactly the kind of thing I wish someone had said to me when I’d broken up with Lane. I don’t regret leaving, I needed a change and while it was a drastic one, so far a lot of good had come out of it. What I did regret was how I’d left things. Sure my foster parents were a fan of the tough love shtick, but they did truly care about me. They didn’t deserve me pushing them away and running off without a goodbye. I hadn’t contacted them the entire time I’d been here either and the longer I left it, the harder it became to reach out. And as much as I dislike the way he treated his friend, I didn’t what that for Link.

When I looked back to him, he was frowning softly and playing with his fingers.

“You said how but you didn’t say why.”

“What?” I squinted at him.

“When I asked you why you were the only one who noticed I wasn’t wearing my ring, you told me how but not why.” At this he looked directly at me, that sadness was still present but there was something else unidentifiable in his gaze.

I swallowed. What to tell him? I thought you were hot and I was looking to see if someone had slapped a ring on it? I was checking out your ass when you turned around? There was no good answer that wouldn’t get me in some kind of trouble, especially given that he was one of my bosses. Instead I deflected with a question of my own, “What were you going to say to me? That first night, outside the bar?”

He shifted, crossing his arms as he peered down at me. “I asked you first.”

“And I asked you second.” Crossing my own arms, I barely restrained the urge to stick out my tongue. He must have sensed my intentions because some of the heaviness left his eyes.

“I could order you to tell me.” The smirk on his face was still handsome, despite it not fully reaching his eyes.

“You could try,” I cocked my hip, “But I report directly to Stevie.”

“Then it appears we’re at a stalemate.”

“Indeed.” After that we fell into another staring contest. I was not about to go down easy however, so I crossed my eyes and sucked in my cheeks. He retaliated by wiggling his eyebrows and flaring his nostrils. We then spent the next five minutes pulling increasingly unattractive faces, trying to get each other to crack. We both lost when he tried to turn his eyelid inside out and ended up stabbing himself. I was in the process of ballooning out my cheeks and unintentionally spit all over him when I burst out laughing, causing him to erupt as well.

When we finally composed ourselves, I realised one of my hands were on his chest to steady myself and he had one hand cupping my elbow and one hand across his stomach. Link’s eye was red and streaming and, without thinking, I reached up to take a better look.

But then my brain kicked in, I took in the intimate position we were in and froze. I was on tip-toe, one hand gripping his jaw and the other one pulling at his eyelid so I could see his eye better. I was about to back away when his arms wrapped suddenly around my waist, causing me to lose my balance and press against him.

“So, what do you say doctor, will I ever see again?”

Feeling his breath fan against my face I suppressed a shiver. “Can’t see any scratches so you’re probably good.” I let go of his face, my hands dropping down to rest on his shoulders.

“Just good?” He drawled, Southern accent slipping through.

I slapped his shoulder and pinned him with a look.

“Fair enough.” He relented, letting me go. I took a step back and immediately missed his warmth.

It was too easy to fall into a rhythm with him, which only served to reinforce my earlier thought. _This man is dangerous._

Whatever attraction I might have felt for him needed to be controlled. Although he was smiling now, I hadn’t forgotten the sadness and the anger that lay underneath. He was a mess, but it wasn’t my place to fix him. I repeated that again for good measure. _It_ _wasn't_ _my place to fix him._

But I knew myself. If the last half hour had been any indication, I couldn’t trust myself around him. So I made a promise to myself, to never be alone with him again. He had a maybe ex wife and 3 kids, and _I was Not Getting Involved._

So I patted Link twice on the shoulder and left the room, not stopping till I reached mine and Stevie’s office. Making sure to swipe a pen from Chase’s desk as I went.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked. I know it seems like Link's flipping through emotions but that's because he is. He absolutely shouldn't be back at work, he hasn't let himself process and he's got a lot of hurt to work through. A pretty big chunk of his foundation has come down and he's reeling. Hope that makes sense?? It will be explored in upcoming chapters at any rate.
> 
> Stay safe, wear a mask, VOTE and I'll see you next time!  
> ~TCS


	13. XIII.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Times are tough (for Chase)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made it. It's here. Bit shorter than usual, but I have a few things up my sleeve for the next two chapters *insert evil laugh here*

It was almost the end of the week and so far I’d kept my promise not to be alone with Link. Of course it helped that we moved in mostly separate circles. Stevie had me doing admin and other back office tasks and Link spent his time in front of various cameras. If he wasn’t filming the Morning’s and the More’s then he was filming the podcast and if he wasn’t doing that then he was creating stuff for the Mythical Society. Part of me did wonder if it was some kind of coping mechanism but it wasn’t my concern.

We did briefly cross paths in the studio while I was trying to hunt down Chase to talk props – I’d tripped over a stray cable and almost dropped my iPad and he reached out to stabilise me. He looked as if he was going to speak but I quickly thanked him and ~~ran away~~ retreated.

Things were different after that but easier in a way. I still felt eyes on me if we were forced into the same space for long enough, but it was manageable. It was clear he wanted to talk about it and I knew it wasn’t the best way to deal with things but I never claimed to be perfect.

Eventually, other people slowly started to notice something was wrong with Link. To my knowledge no one had put the pieces together yet. Most of the popular theories in the group chat were that he and Rhett had had some kind of falling out – which wasn’t strictly inaccurate. I did see where they were coming from - it fit with the tension that currently surrounded the two. Whether that was because they hadn’t made up from Monday or just Link’s situation I didn’t know.

Of course I had other things to worry about so it was easy to put him out of my mind. Stevie was no closer to figuring out what had happened to all of the footage which was making her slightly cranky. I didn’t know her very well so I mostly focused on keeping my head down and sending out warnings on the group chat when she was on the rampage.

In other news, Chase had finally snapped. The pen thieving had gotten too much for him so he’d started carrying one on a string around his neck. We then made a bet – everyone put in 5 bucks and the person that managed to get it off him would win the pot.

Jen tried getting it off him by putting him in a friendly headlock but was forced to abandon the plan when Stevie came round the corner.

I tried giving him a hug but then backed out because I didn’t think through the logistics and didn’t actually have a way of getting it off of him.

Josh tried just asking him if he could borrow his pen. This, of course, didn’t work and had the added benefit of making Chase more suspicious/paranoid.

In the end Morgan "won" on a technicality. He found us at lunch – at least me, Jen and Chase ate together whenever we were in. Today it was us three and Nicole in the break room. Morgan just calmly waltzed in and cut the string off Chase’s neck, turned to us and said, “That counts right? No one said he wasn’t allowed to see me doing it.”

Chaos ensued.

Jen and I were screaming at Morgan calling him a cheat and demanding a do-over (although how that would work since the cat was firmly out of the bag, was anyone's guess). He was yelling back about how we never established any rules so therefore we owed him money. Chase had just figured out that we were behind his misfortune so he was yelling at all three of us and Nicole was choking on her lunch.

* * *

Nicole saved and excitement over with, it was back to business as usual. I spent the next few hours looking at proposals for new sketches. We were getting through the re-shoots pretty quickly and it looked like they'd be finished sometime next week. I was to pick the most entertaining but reasonable and create a shortlist which Stevie would then select the best ones from.

At least that’s what I was doing on paper. In reality I was watching GMM compilations on YouTube. I reasoned that, since I didn’t really know the team that well (a-k-a I still hadn’t got around to actually _watching_ the show) I needed to do some research to familiarise myself.

Of course that would’ve been more plausible 3 hours ago when I _first_ started, but the YouTube algorithm knows no bounds. I’d watch compilation and then _of course_ I had to look up the videos featured which led me to more videos and more compilations. Suddenly, the fact that I’d been hired on after showing up unannounced (to them) made slightly more sense when you took in the fact that creating videos of grown men taking milkshake baths together was these guys' day job.

In the end, I choose around 10 ideas. Stevie hadn't given me a number but I figured that was enough of a decent selection. My personal favourite was Tattoo Trivia which had absolutely nothing to do hoping to see a blue-eyed someone shirtless and/or covered in tattoos (anyone who said otherwise was a liar). I maintained it was because the loser had to get a large temporary tattoo of the winners’ face on them and I couldn't wait.

I’d already called Dave earlier in the week and arranged a set for tomorrow night. I was just going with a backing track this time since James suggested I might have less chance of getting a migraine if there wasn’t a full-blown drum kit 3 feet behind me. In the Uber home, I mulled over what songs I would pick. Part of me wanted to go old school – I’d been playing a lot of classic soul on my Spotify this week – but I knew I wouldn’t do it justice.

* * *

Letting myself in, I drew a bath and headed to my room to grab my headphones and toiletries, James wouldn’t be home for at least an hour and I wanted to make the most of it. That said, I considered going the whole hog and lighting candles and shit but decided that was too much effort for a Thursday. I did add a crap-ton of bubbles though because who doesn’t love bubbles?

Setting my liked songs on shuffle, I slid into the water and put my air pods in. My hope was to find a decent set list and songs almost always sound better through headphones so, failing that, at least I’d have a good time.

‘She’s So Lovely’ was the first song to play and immediately brought a smile to my face. However many years later the song still brought to mind the opening sequence from Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging. The film was pretty bad but the soundtrack did kind of slap. It wasn’t going to end up in my set but that didn’t stop me from belting it out, bathroom acoustics working overtime.

If you thought I didn’t know all the words to ‘Money Game Pt.2’ then you’d be wrong because I owned those bars no refunds. I might’ve lost some bathwater from being to exuberant but that’s no ones business but mine and my baby’s.

‘God Is a Woman’ was the next song to get murdered as I absolutely destroyed those runs – if I and the person who started banging on the neighbouring wall had anything to say about it.

At the end of my impromptu concert/jam session I had a tentative list of songs, fingers that looked like they belonged to someone four times my age and a sopping wet floor. The only thing that would’ve improved the experience is if I'd thought to bring a bottle of wine with me. It’s probably for the best though, I did still have to work tomorrow.

Bathroom cleaned and sweats on, I set about preparing dinner for me and James, an old country playlist this time. As the beginning strains of Shania Twain’s Any Man of Mine drifted from the speakers I smiled and got to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This A/N might be a long'un.. TL;DR writing sucks and get ready for the next few chapters >:)
> 
> For those of you who read my rhant yesterday I'm still fairly frustrated with this chapter but sleeping on it did help and I realised a few key things.  
> 1) As much fun as mentally imagining and plotting every single thing that she does in a day might be, it's probably really boring to read and it's pretty draining/time consuming to write. Therefore, I'm exercising my me-given right to time skip/gloss over the majority of the details  
> 2) one of the main reasons I was struggling is I HATE WRITING FILLER CHAPTERS. They're necessary but believe me, I wanna get to the good stuff just as much as you do guys!  
> 3) The other reason is the fact that I don't know one iota of what goes on in any kind of media (tv/film/YT/etc) studio and I was making it harder on myself but trying to writing out details that I don't know (and am too lazy to research) and won't matter in the grand scheme of things.  
> 4) ARTISTIC LICENCE IS A THING. I forget that I'm writing this for fun and not to win awards of earn a living or whatever. If I wanna say that the show is created with alien magic I CAN. Screw logistics!
> 
> But to all my main ones, from the bottom of my heart, thanks for toughing it out with me. You guys are awesome, virtual socially distanced hugs for all!
> 
> I'll see you next time.  
> ~TCS


	14. XIV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mix Tape (Side A)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I couldn't wait lol. Not technically a double upload still I'm planning to upload the next chapter tomorrow. But yeah I really like this chapter and I hope you do too!

For the first time I was able to sit and watch a taping of the show. I don’t know if it was a special Friday treat or something, but there were quite a few crew members that weren’t actively working on the episode that were hanging around to watch. That was more than fine with me since I could use them as a buffer between me and Link. I’d managed to get though the Morning show with out being noticed – it was another taste test so I figured he had bigger things to worry about. Side note: who came up with these food combinations? Bile cheesecake?? Just watching them try to choke it down damn near ruined my favourite dessert for me.

I’d grown confident, completely forgetting about my intention to lie low, laughing along with the crew as the boys attempted to recover during the downtime between Morning and More. I was doubled over in hysterics at Josh’s re-enactment, he had Link’s whipping-off-his-glasses-and-staring-into-the-middle-dimension face down pat. Finally righting myself, wiping the tears out of my eyes, I caught Link staring at me in amusement. Still coming down off of my laughing high I couldn’t help but smile at him, getting my own grin in return. It wasn’t fair how he could look so good and for me to still be attracted to him after just watching him eat “cow secretion” and dry heaving into a bucket. Thankfully, his attention was diverted as they went on to film the More.

The rest of the day passed without incident. Well, mostly. I caught Stevie frowning at me on several occasions. When I questioned her about it she told me not to worry, she just had a problem that she was trying to work out. That didn’t exactly fill me with confidence, especially since when I asked her if I was the problem she needed to sort out she just deflected. She did reassure me that it was nothing to do with my work and that she wasn’t about to fire me anytime soon. Pacified, though not completely comforted, I let it go and went about my day.

* * *

I was currently at home getting ready for the set tonight. James had promised to drop by on his way to a party that his boss was throwing. Something about a merger? I don’t really know. I always used to tune him out when he started talking about work, partly boredom, mostly jealousy. He had his life together and clear career progression, where I was the manager of a department store. Which, while nothing to sniff at, there wasn’t really opportunity to go any further.

To be fair to James though, he never bragged about his job or successes and he _had_ invited me tonight. I told him I’d think about it and then called Dave and set up the gig not five minutes later. I couldn’t say why I did that, truthfully I think I just panicked. I think part of me still thinks of me as James’ charity case and I couldn’t bear to have that possibility confirmed by his successful colleagues. Either way, I had a show to get ready for.

After laying my clothes out on the bed I went over to my vanity to do my hair and makeup. Focusing on my hair first and trying out a few styles – I settled on having the front half of my hair cornrowed and the rest falling down my back. It would keep it out of my face while still giving me something to play with. It took me longer than I would’ve liked since I'm horrible at braiding the left side of my head.

Makeup I kept simple as usual but more than what I would wear on the everyday. Foundation, bronzer, purple lipstick and false lashes. It was another 20 minutes before I was happy with my eye shadow, which left me with just under 15 minutes to finish getting ready and out of the door if I didn’t wan to be late. Pulling on my clothes – a fluffy purple off the shoulder jumper and black mini skirt combo – I spritzed myself with perfume and grabbed my backpack, taking it into the hallway with me. I’d already put my shoes in there since it was a 30 minute walk and I didn't feel like doing it in heels. Swiping a bottle of water from the fridge, an apple and a bag of hot Cheetos I threw those in as well. Doing a quick spin in between the kitchen and the living room area to make sure I had everything I finally headed out of the door.

The walk flew by and before I knew it I was stepping into Frankie's. It was somewhere around 9 pm and the place was already decently crowded. It was by no means hopping but it was never empty and had a cluster of regulars that I was slowly learning to recognise. I didn’t have time to scope them out though, checking my phone I cursed as I saw the time. 9:18, I was supposed to start at half past and perform till 10:30 – right when premium drinking hours started.

Speed walking through to the staff room, waving at Benji behind the bar, I dumped my bag and rushed to put my shoes on. Thankfully, being knee high boots, I was able to pull them on pretty easily. I paused when I spotted something shiny at the bottom of my bag. It was a little bottle of body glitter that James got me as a joke. I wasn’t sure what compelled me, I’d had it for a few weeks now, but I whispered a quick “fuck it” under my breath and decided to go with it. Reading the label I learned it was the spray on kind so I just misted it over myself. There wasn’t a mirror back here but a quick glance at my phone showed me I didn’t look horrible, and also that it was 9:27. Shit, no time for a sound check. I shoved everything back in my bag and hoofed it to the stage area.

* * *

There was no real urgency to my song choices or my performance. Last time I sang here the songs were influenced by my lingering feelings about the break up with Lane – all the anger and resentment I felt. Tonight I just wanted to have fun.

Opening with “Four Simple Words” was a no brainer for me. It started slow but built nicely, enabling me to transition into more uptempo songs. After that I followed it up with River, jumping around the stage to that one was a hell of a workout but I wouldn’t change it for anything.

And just like last time I performed here, I was most of the way through the set, singing Animals when my eyes caught his. It was so electric I almost missed my cue, bringing my focus back just in time to howl along with the track. The howl was my favourite part of the song and I didn’t care if it made me look ridiculous or not, it was crazy fun.

I sang Tumbao which was another favourite of mine. I will admit that I got a pretty big kick out of seeing Link’s face when I rapping in Spanish. Throwing him a cheeky wink I turned and carried on with the song.

As it wound down I took a few a seconds to take a drink and did a few crowd participation bits. Stoutly ignoring those blue eyes, before going into the next song, Dangerous Woman.

I tried to force myself to concentrate, but couldn’t help peering at him periodically. Was it my imagination, or was he getting closer? I was walking the stage during the instrumental when I accidentally looked directly at him. Unintentionally locking eyes, but this time I was unable to break away.

“ _Somethin' 'bout you_

_Makes me feel like a dangerous woman_

_Somethin' 'bout, somethin' 'bout_

_Somethin' 'bout you_

_Makes me wanna do things that I shouldn't.”_

I realised I was essentially serenading him and broke away, not before noting that he looked impressed by the high note. I tried not to let it please me but the curl of warmth in my chest told me I’d failed. There was only one song left, aptly named Overwhelmed. (Albeit I was overwhelmed because I was ~~crushing on~~ / ~~had a connection with~~ / drawn to my boss and not because of my anxiety for once).

As soon as I was in the staff room questions started to bombard my mind. _Why was he here? Would he still be there when I got out? What if he wants to talk to me? Should I try to ignore him? I’m really sweaty, what if I smell?_ The last one was easily solved, after a quick sniff I determined that, no, I didn’t smell but I put an extra spritz of perfume on just in case - and one in my hair for good measure. As for the rest, well, I needed to learn that I couldn’t predict everything and sitting here trying to plan out every interaction wasn’t helpful – or healthy. Resolving just to roll with whatever comes, I left the staff room into the bar area.

He wasn’t hard to spot, leaning against one of the pillars that littered the place, nursing a half full glass of beer. Straightening my shoulders I headed over to him.

“So what’d you think?” I had to almost yell to be heard over the music and general chatter. The height difference didn’t help either. I laughed as he jumped slightly. Having approached him on a diagonal, I guess he hadn’t seen me come up.

“Hey!” He spun around, “Yeah you were great! That high note, damn girl, you got a set of pipes on ya!”

I flushed from the praise, glad once again for my dark skin. “Thanks! I didn’t take you for a bar guy?” I noticed too late that that was apparently the wrong thing to say.

His face clouded over a little as he replied, “Yeah well, that’s life, full of surprises.”

We stood in awkward silence for a bit. Him sipping his beer, me looking around aimlessly. I racked my brain trying to think of something to say to break the tension. Fortunately, Dave chose this moment to come and give me my pay.

“There’s my star!” He threw an arm around me, “I swear you just keep getting better and better.” I laughed at him, he was always so excited, he reminded me of a puppy almost.

“Hey now, no laughing.” He frowned at me, “What do I always say? ‘Keep it up and you’ll be playing Madison Square Garden in no time.” We said in unison. Rolling my eyes I jolted remembering Link was standing there awkwardly.

“Oh yeah, how could I forget! Dave, Link. Link, Dave. Dave here owns the place and Link co-owns a business and a really popular YouTube channel.

Link raised his glass in greeting, eyes lingering on Dave’s arm that was still resting on my shoulder, “Nice to meet ya.”

“Likewise.” He responded

Feeling uncomfortable, but not knowing why, I shrugged out from under Dave’s grip and turned to him expectedly. “I believe you have something for me?”

“All business with you young’uns.” I rolled my eyes again. Dave had just turned 30 (he’d inherited the bar from his dad) but he liked to pretend he was this ‘wise old man’ for some reason.

“Yeah, yeah, that’s me. Young whipper-snapper alright.” I held my hand out.

He sighed but gave me the cash anyway. “Have a good night you two, I’ve got a hot date with inventory.” He hooked a thumb in the direction behind him and left.

We watched him walk away for a minute before Link spoke. “So you guys seem close?”

I hummed, “Not really, I’ve only known him a few weeks. He’s a nice guy, but he’s a bit much sometimes. One of the older members of staff told me it’s because I remind him of his younger sister.”

“Oh god I’m sorry.”

“What?” I looked up at him in confusion. “Oh..., no, no!” She’s not dead or anything.” Unable to help chuckling at the look of horror on his face. He was too adorable. “Just across the country in Med school. Part scholarship, she’s doing very well, so I’m told.”

Link was glaring at me now, but smiling slightly so I knew he was joking. “You seem to enjoy laughing at me a lot, I’ve noticed. That’s not very nice of you.”

“Who says I’m a nice girl?” I shot back without thinking. I realised my mistake, watching as his eyes darkened, though, not for the same reason as earlier. This look I hadn’t see before, but I knew what it meant all the same.

Time seemed to pause. All I could focus on was the look in his eye and the effect it was having in my lower abdomen. I licked my lips and watched as he tracked the movement. His body seemed to shift to cage me in, the space between us slowly shrinking till I could almost taste the faintest wisps of his cologne. My mind flashed back to the kitchen. How it felt to be pressed up against him, strong arms wrapped around my waist, surrounded by his warmth. Who knows what would’ve happened had someone not tripped over behind me and doused me in ice cold alcohol.

“Shit!” I shrieked, jumping about a foot in the air. I whirled around, about to give whoever it was a piece of my mind, but they were already being hauled away by their friends. Grumbling more swear words under my breath I turned back to Link, only to find him being the one laughing at me this time.

“Shut up,” I pointed a finger at him, “It’s not funny.”

He put a straight face on and nodded solemnly. The effect was ruined though as he only managed to hold out for 3 seconds before laughing again. I tried to be mad but he looked so happy I had to join in.

“Seriously though I’m gonna be all sticky now and I stink and _ugh_ its in my hair!”

“Ha ha, come on I’ve got a spare jumper or something in the car you can have.” Link went to put his hand on the small of my back but recoiled when his hand met the wet of the alcohol. I snorted but he simply wiped his hand on his jeans and lead me out by the shoulder instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said part 2 will be coming tomorrow (mainly because I haven't finished it yet) but after that we'll be back to 1 a week. I'm still excited so please leave comments for this and the next chap if you can. Nothing too negative though - I'm a fragile soul ;)
> 
> Wear a mask, stay safe and Vote that turd out of office if you can!  
> ~TCS


	15. XV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mix Tape (Side B) *Link POV*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I say Sunday? My bad, that was the delusional part of my brain speaking :)

I leant my back up against the car, face up to the sky, letting the chilled metal cool me down some. Trying, in vain, to think of anything but the young woman getting undressed in the vehicle behind me. It was a nice night, the moon wasn’t quite full and you couldn’t see the stars but it was nice nonetheless.

That was one thing I missed about not living down south, you didn’t have to travel far to see the stars. Everything was so much simpler back then, him and Rhett, camping, swimming in the creek, riding their bikes and later driving their cars. Selfishly, sometimes I wished I could go back, do it all over again…

“Hey, I’m ready.” I whirled round, startled to see Faye leaning out of the car window. I shuffled sideways, allowing her to climb out.

“So I might’ve got glitter all over your back seat.”

I just raised an eyebrow at her.

“What?” She raised her hands up defensively, “It was a gag gift and I thought it looked pretty.” Finishing with a glare, as if daring me to argue.

Letting out a chuckle I reassured her, “Don’t worry I have 3 kids, you weren’t the first and you won’t be the last. I even bought a high powered vacuum, not that I still don’t find glitter everywhere for weeks.

“The herpes of the craft world.” She nodded solemnly. Not disagreeing with her, I snorted out a laugh.

“So what were you thinking before?” she leant up next to me.

“Hmm? Oh nothing serious.”

“If you say so, I mean, I knocked on the window like 8 times but, sure nothing serious.” She snorted.

I didn’t respond, unable to think of a joke. Something to bring back the good mood from before.

“O-kay….” She drawled, “Well I’m gonna get going then. It’s late and the sooner I start walking, the sooner I can be in bed.”

I watched as she reached through the still open window to grab her bag, before the words clicked in my head. “Wait, walk?” I frowned down at her, “Don’t be crazy, I’ll give you a lift.”

She was shaking her head, “Nah guv don’t worry about it. It’s only 25 minutes and it’s all main roads.”

“Yeah, nuh-uh, no way, not gonna happen.” I took her bag off her shoulder and gently deposited it on the back seat. Taking a couple steps to the front I opened the car door for her. “C’mon, get in.”

She sighed heavily, but looked like she was fighting a smile so I knew I’d already won.

“You’ve been drinking.” She tried.

“Only one cup, scouts honor.”

She still wouldn’t move however, so we ended up in another stare down. I wasn’t about to give in however, “I can do this all day princess…” flashing her a smirk.

Finally, after rolling her eyes and muttering something under her breath that I didn’t catch she climbed in the passenger seat.

As I drove off in the direction of Faye pointed me in, my mind started to wander again. I hadn’t intended to end up at the bar tonight. All I knew was that I’d purposely stayed late at work and yet still only managed to be in the house for a couple hours. The atmosphere was stifling. I was avoiding Christie, but trying to play the part for the kids. It'd been a week but I still hadn't found it in me to talk. I knew we couldn't go back, but every time I looked at her all I saw was another man. It was a hard thing to overcome.

Faye was right, I wasn’t usually a bar guy, having outgrown that side of myself, for the most part. I just wanted to be out of the house, somewhere no one would think to look for me. Somehow, without really thinking about it, I’d ended up at Frankie’s. I almost turned back when I got to the door but I had no where else to go. Unable to face another moment of Rhett’s mother-henning or Jessie’s pity or Christie’s pleading. I didn’t really expect her to be there but was pleasantly surprised when I saw her on that makeshift stage.

Movement caught my eye and I looked over to the passenger side of the car. Faye was completely lost in the radio, drumming her fingers along her thigh, dancing along to the music. I smiled. It was nice to be around someone who wasn’t afraid to be happy. Rhett knew, and had told Stevie, so now they both treated me with kid gloves. Even the others who weren’t aware were walking on egg shells.

“Hey” I spoke before I could think about it, “You wanna grab some food?”

She turned to look at me but I made sure to keep my gaze on the road. I could feel her studying me and struggled to keep my face neutral. She seemed to be weighing her options and I let her think. After a long period of silence, enough that even I was starting to feel awkward, I saw her shrug.

“Sure why not? What’s good around here?”

Crap, I didn’t think that far ahead. “Um.. I dunno know what are you in the mood for?” I hedged.

I watched her profile while we stopped at a red light. She was biting her lip as she thought and my eyes followed the movement before I remembered myself and looked away. Clearing my throat, I think she must’ve thought I was being impatient because she hurried to speak.

“Well, I’ve tried most of the like fast food, burger places and stuff, but haven’t got round to restaurants yet.”

“How’d you feel about Chinese?” I asked as we passed a Panda Express.

“Mate, I haven’t had one in ages!”

Chuckling at her enthusiasm and the little, random English phrases that liked to pepper her speech, I took that for a yes and made to turn around at the next light.

* * *

Walking into the restaurant I held the door open for her and almost tripped. I wasn’t able to see in the dark before, but my hoodie almost drowned her. Hanging below her hips, it was only a few inches shorter than her skirt and sliding off of one shoulder. I was hit by the sudden urge to gather her up in my arms. She just looked so soft. I wanted to bury my face in her neck and tangle my fingers in her hair. I’d seen her in over-sized clothes before but the fact that it was _my_ clothes that she was wearing had set something off in me.

I was so lost in thought that I almost missed that she was asking me a question.

“Sorry, I zoned out, what were you saying.” She rolled her eyes at me, but she was smiling so I knew she wasn’t really annoyed.

“I was saying, how does it work. Do we like, go up and order or do we have to wait for someone to seat us?”

“Oh we just go up and order, you can see all the dishes behind the bar so you can choose what looks good.”

“Okay cool.” After placing our orders, Broccoli beef for Faye and Orange chicken for me, I sent her to go find a table while I paid.

Carefully balancing the tray, I slowly made my way over to where she was sat waving. Taking the time to make sure nothing spilt I placed the tray on the table and sat down only to find her laughing behind her hand.

“Are you laughing at me again woman?” I picked up a fork handing her her meal.

“Sorry,” she giggled, “It’s just that you were focusing so hard trying not to spill anything, it was too cute!”

“Excuse me, I am not cute! I am a manly man of great sophistication!”

“Oh yeah you looked real sophisticated gagging on that cheesecake earlier.” She snickered.

“Well I’d like to see how you’d get on trying to eat that, that _thing!”_ Struggling, unable to come up with a better word.

“Ha ha jog on bruv, you ain’t getting me anywhere near any of that!”

“Aha!” I pointed my fork at her, “So you admit that I’m manlier than you!” I popped a piece of chicken in my mouth, satisfied.

“Yes Link,” she dead panned, “You are indeed manlier than me, a 25 year old female..” If her eyebrow raised any higher, it’d fly off her head.

“Shut up, I’m used to arguing with Rhett is all.” She laughed, going back to her food and I followed her lead.

We were pretty much finished our meal when a pack of drunk teenagers waltzed in. We were currently locked in a semi-heated debate on take- _out_ versus take- _away_. “ _It’s take-_ away, _Link, because you take it_ away _from the restaurant.”_

There weren’t any real stakes, so I was having a great time winding her up. “But I could say the same thing, it’s take- _out_ because you take it _out_ of the restaurant!” She actually growled at that and I didn’t think my smile could get any bigger watching her viciously stab a stray piece of broccoli.

Unfortunately, the ruckus coming from the teenagers in the corner was making it hard to communicate. I found I didn’t enjoy the minor crease on her forehead if I wasn’t the one causing it. “Should we get out of here?” We both spoke up at the same time. Chuckling, we got up to clear the table. I shot her a questioning look as I watched her wipe the table with a napkin.

She shrugged sheepishly. “I was a waitress at a pub for a while. Hard habit to break.” She shrugged. “Plus, it makes their lives easier, so..”

“Fair enough, I’ll try and remember that.”

Faye grinned, “One day, if you’re lucky, I’ll show you the art of carrying multiple plates at a time.”

“Hey, there’s an idea!”

“Huh?”

“For a GMM segment. Me ‘n Rhett could do waitressing activities like carrying plates and trying to remember orders.”

“Ooh, yeah. And maybe for one of the games, or even the More you and Rhett could make a competition of deciphering kitchen shorthand! Like, you’re given an order written entirely in shorthand and you have to figure out what the order is!”

“Hey, that’s really good! Maybe you should be on the writers staff.”

“Nah, I’m happy where I am.” She shook her head.

It was as we walked to the exit, still batting around ideas for the show; “ _It only really works if you’re wearing a uniform.”_ and, _“Are you sure you’re not just trying to see my legs?”_ That I realised my hand was resting on the small of her back. It was such a habit, whenever I went anywhere with Christie, I hadn’t noticed. Looking at Faye, hands flying as she talked, she didn’t appear to mind. The warmth of her body through my hand was grounding and, if she had no objections then neither did I. Opening the door of the restaurant, I focused back on what she was saying - my hand staying where it was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this took a while before I was happy with it. You can blame the Sunday hung over me. Halloween, I drank a lot of red wine and watched scary movies with my bestie (over netflix party, he lives in another city). Unfortunately, red wine really do be That Bitch and I had to rewrite pretty much the entire chapter and not just because of typos.
> 
> On the good news front I have some (fairly) concrete ideas for the next few chapters. This section has got away from me so *SPOILER ALERT* (lol) the next chapter will be a third installment of this night. I'd hoped to have it done in two but.....
> 
> Next time you hear from me Y'all will have a new President (I'm fucking manifesting that shit)
> 
> Stay safe, wear a mask!  
> ~TCS


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Authors note

Hi 

Um so it’s been a while but I haven’t abandoned

My best friend got diagnosed with breast cancer 2 weeks ago and I’ve been dealing with that.

I know it’s not me that it’s happening to but it’s been really scary. They’re performing the op to take out the lump on Tuesday. But because her whole dads side has had some various forms of cancer they’re pretty sure she’ll get it again in the next five years or so. 

She’s only twenty. 

I’m so heartbroken for her. Like, it’s early enough she’ll been fine but it’s still been a really rough couple of weeks. 

Anyway I’ll be back in December. I have the first two weeks off work so I’ll put something up then. 

~TCS

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for liking commenting and subscribing!
> 
> See you next time,  
> ~TCS


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